RESUMEN
Reduced-antigen-content pertussis vaccines designed initially for booster vaccination of adolescents and adults can also be used to vaccinate pre-school age children. Combination vaccines, which reduce the number of administered injections, combine multiple antigens including inactivated poliovirus (IPV), which is recommended in this age group in some countries. This randomised, controlled study compared a combined diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-inactivated polio-containing booster vaccine, dTpa-IPV (Boostrix Polio, n=822), to separately administered dTpa (Boostrix) and IPV (IPV Mérieux, n=136) in 4-8-year-old children who had previously received four doses of DTPa. Additional serological assessment was performed 1 year after the booster dose. One month after vaccination, seroprotection/vaccine response rates were similar for both groups. At least 99.9% of the subjects had protective antibodies against diphtheria, tetanus and polio, and at least 90.1% had a vaccine response to pertussis antigens after dTpa-IPV. Reactogenicity of dTpa-IPV was comparable to dTpa + IPV. Fever and grade 3 loss of appetite occurred more commonly after dTpa-IPV, whereas swelling and grade 3 pain occurred more frequently after separately administered dTpa + IPV (P<0.05 for all). However, 95% CIs overlapped in all cases. Large swelling reactions after dTpa-IPV occurred less commonly than have been reported after a fifth dose of DTPa. One year after the booster, 98.6% of the subjects tested continued to have protective antibodies against diphtheria, tetanus and polio, and at least 81.2% were seropositive for pertussis components. The reduced-antigen-content dTpa-IPV vaccine was immunogenic, well tolerated and safe in pre-school age children. It provides immunity against four diseases in a single injection, with the potential reactogenicity benefit of a reduced-antigen dose.