REACTOGENICITY AND IMMUNOGENICITY OF COMBINED VACCINES FOR BACTEREMIC DISEASES CAUSED BY HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE TYPE-B, MENINGOCOCCI AND PNEUMOCOCCI IN 24-MONTH-OLD CHILDREN

To find a wide spectrum vaccine against bacteraemic disease in childhood, we immunized 293 Finnish children at 24 months of age intramuscularly with different combinations of the currently available vaccines, namely Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (PRP-D) mixed with meningococcal and/or pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccines. All the vaccines were immunogenic. The increase in antibody concentration after vaccinations was not affected by the number of polysaccharide antigens. Although no serious reactions were seen, the frequency of both local and fever reactions was greater in groups that received several vaccine antigens. Halving of the vaccine dose decreased the reactogenicity without impairing the immunogenicity. © 1990.