Here is How to Safeguard Your Child Against 6 Serious Diseases

Globally, health authorities suggest that children, especially newborns, should be vaccinated according to the recommended schedule to help protect them from serious vaccine-preventable diseases.^1,2 Vaccination helps to save millions of lives every year and it has also helped reduce the number of deaths from diseases that seem to disproportionately affect children.¹ New parents may often concern about their child getting multiple injections at the same time. Now, because of advances in medical technology, combination vaccination has made the process simpler and more convenient for all.³

What is combination vaccination?

Combination vaccination combines 2 or more vaccinations in a single injection.⁴ For example, a 6 in 1 is a combination vaccination that helps protect babies against 6 diseases: diphtheria, Haemophilus influenza type B disease, hepatitis B, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis, and tetanus.⁵

Diphtheria is a serious throat infection that may damage essential organs.⁶

Hib disease may be mild or serious infections such as meningitis and pneumonia.⁷

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver and can eventually lead to severe liver damage later in life.⁸

Pertussis may cause respiratory complications, particularly in babies.⁹

Polio may lead to paralysis and disability.¹⁰

Tetanus may lead to muscle spasms and difficulty in breathing.¹¹

Advantages of 6 in 1 combination vaccination

6 in 1 vaccination means fewer injection pricks and therefore, less pain and discomfort along with timely protection for the child.³ For parents, all the vaccinations may be taken in fewer visits to the doctor, which requires less time off from work or family activity.

Speaking about the benefits of combination vaccination, Dr Raghuram Mallaiah, Director Neonatology, Fortis La Femme, New Delhi, said, “Vaccines protect a child’s future and reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. But compliance with the recommended vaccination schedule may sometimes present a challenge when a child needs to receive multiple shots. Parents even worry about whether their child’s immune system will be able to handle multiple injections. This is where combination vaccination proves to be highly beneficial. It improves compliance since a number of vaccinations can be combined in a single shot. It is a boon for parents and reduces the number of visits to the doctor.”

Worried about the side effects of giving 6 vaccinations at once?

Side effects from 6 in 1 vaccination are similar to those from individual vaccination. The swelling or pain at the injection site may be slightly more with the combination vaccination, though it would still be less than the pain of administering multiple injections. Other side effects include fever, irritability and loss of appetite, which are common to most vaccinations.⁵

Recently, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Former World Cup Captain, former Chennai Super Kings skipper, and most importantly, real-life father, has been part of an awareness campaign which talks about prevention of 6 diseases by vaccination. He understands the importance of protecting children from serious, vaccine-preventable diseases.

If your baby has missed routine vaccination or for additional information on the subject and any medical information, talk to your Paediatrician.

For more information on the diseases, modes of prevention including vaccination, click here.

Disclaimer: Issued in public interest by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited. Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400 030, India.

Information appearing in this material is for general awareness only. Nothing contained in this material constitutes medical advice. Please consult your doctor for any medical queries, any question or concern you may have regarding your condition. The disease list indicated for vaccination is not complete, please consult your child’s Paediatrician for the complete vaccination schedule.

All scientific information is validated, for details write to us on askus@gsk.com

References:

1. WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1. Accessed October 2023.
2. CDC. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/index.html. Accessed October 2023.
3. Skibinski DA et al. Journal of Global infectious diseases. 2011;3(1):63-72.
4. CDC combination vaccines. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/combination-vaccines.html#:~:text=Combination%20vaccines%20take%20two%20or,instead%20of%20five%20individual%20shots. Accessed October 2023.
5. Baldo V, et al. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2014;10(1):129-37.
6. CDC Diphtheria. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/about/symptoms.html. Accessed October 2023.
7. CDC types of haemophilus influenzae infections. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hi-disease/about/types-infection.html. Accessed October 2023.
8. CDC Hepatitis. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/bfaq.htm#bFAQa01. Accessed October 2023.
9. CDC Pertussis. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html. Accessed October 2023.
10. CDC Polio. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/index.htm. Accessed October 2023.
11. CDC Tetanus. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/about/symptoms-complications.html. Accessed October 2023. CL Code: NP-IN-PVU-WCNT-240002