Combination Vaccine Produces Lower Immune Response

A combination vaccine developed to reduce the number of injections infants receive appears to provide less immunity than the vaccines administered individually, according to a study in the April 13 2005 issue of JAMA.Jim P. Buttery and colleagues conducted a study to determine the immunogenicity and safety of a combination 9-valent pneumococcal-group C meningococcal conjugate candidate vaccine.The researchers found:

Pnc9-MenC combination vaccine administered to infants at ages 2, 3, and 4 months demonstrated reduced group C meningococcal immunogenicity compared with MenC vaccine. The immunogenicity of concomitantly administered Hib and DTwP vaccines was also diminished. The Pnc9-MenC vaccine was safe and immunogenic for all contained pneumococcal serotypes.

ReferenceImmunogenicity and Safety of a Combination Pneumococcal-Meningococcal Vaccine in Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial Jim P. Buttery; Anna Riddell; Jodie McVernon; Tracey Chantler; Laura Lane; Jane Bowen-Morris; Linda Diggle; Rhonwen Morris; Anthony Harnden; Steven Lockhart; Andrew J. Pollard; Keith Cartwright; E. Richard Moxon JAMA. 2005;293:1751-1758. Abstract