B.C. babies get 6-in-1 vaccine

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ANDRÉ PICARD

From Friday's Globe and Mail

February 27, 2009 at 9:09 AM EST

 

Babies in British Columbia are now receiving a six-in-one vaccine, the latest

innovation designed to reduce the number of shots kids get while maximizing

protection against infectious diseases.

The province is the first jurisdiction in North America to use the vaccine,

called Infanrix hexa. B.C. children will now get 14 vaccine shots by age 18

months, instead of 17.

" A few less pokes is good thing, " Bonnie Henry, chairwoman of the Canadian

Coalition for Immunization Awareness & Promotion, said in an interview. She said

parents want their kids protected against childhood illness but are concerned

they are becoming pincushions, so the issue needs to be addressed.

" I look forward to the day when they don't get a needle at all, when vaccines

are administered transdermally or nasally. I don't think that day is too far

away, " she said.

Infanrix hexa is a vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis

(whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), polio and hepatitis B.

The GlaxoKline product is administered when a baby is two, four and six

months of age with an injection in the thigh.

Every other province uses a five-in-one vaccine called Pediacel, a product of

Sanofi Pasteur Ltd. British Columbia and the three territories are the only

jurisdictions that immunize babies against hepatitis B. (Pediacel doesn't

include a vaccine for hepatitis B.)

But the arrival of Infanrix hexa in Canada will likely rekindle the debate over

when it is best to vaccinate against hepatitis B.

" Recent research has concluded that infant immunization is the preferred

method, " said Todd Sorokan, past president of the B.C. Pediatric Society. " B.C.

has been doing this since 2001 and the incidence of acute hepatitis B has

continued to fall. "

Hepatitis B is principally a sexually transmitted disease, so most provinces

vaccinate preteens. But the virus can also be contracted by casual contact with

an infected person, and infection is commonplace in developing countries.

British Columbia opted for childhood vaccination because of its large immigrant

population and because a significant number of children were developing liver

disease associated with hepatitis B infection.

Monika Naus, medical director of immunization programs at the B.C. Centre for

Disease Control, said that in addition to cutting down on the number of shots

babies receive, the new vaccine means using fewer syringes and producing less

medical waste. B.C. doctors are paid $4 for each shot administered, so these

costs are lesser too.

However, the vaccine itself is more expensive than the two products it replaces.

" When you add it all up, it's a wash, " Dr. Naus said.

Dr. Sorokan, who works as a pediatrician in New Westminster, B.C., said the most

common question he gets from parents is: " Can my baby handle all these shots?

" The answer I give them is: 'Absolutely, the immune system can handle it. The

body gets exposed to hundreds of pathogens every day and the vaccines are just

another exposure - but they really protect against disease.' "

Infanrix hexa was originally approved for use in Canada in 2004. But the company

has just produced a new version that does not contain thimerosal. That

preservative, which is mercury-based, has been highly criticized, particularly

by parent groups that believe it can cause brain damage.

While scientific research has not shown any danger from exposure to minute

amounts of thimerosal, most pediatricians recommended limiting exposure to

mercury - a highly toxic substance - as much as possible. For that reason,

British Columbia held off.

Currently, the only childhood vaccine used in Canada that contains thimerosal is

the flu shot.

In addition to the six diseases covered in the new vaccine, it is recommended

that children be vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella (the MMR vaccine is

given in three-in-one shots), varicella (chicken pox), meningitis C and

pneumococcal disease. It is also recommended that preteens and teens be

vaccinated against influenza, hepatitis B (if they have not been as a child) and

human papillomavirus (HPV).

In recent years, Canada has developed a national immunization strategy but each

province and territory has individual schedules of when vaccines are

administered.

Public-health officials had long complained that this hodgepodge allows children

to fall between the cracks and not be protected against infectious diseases.

" Harmonization should be our No. 1 priority, " Dr. Henry said.

She said vaccination schedules are too complex for parents to comprehend and

there is no reason there cannot be a single approach from coast to coast.

 

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Love, Gabby. :0)

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