The majority of cases of fever resolved within one day of onset. The incidences of unsolicited AEs after individual vaccinations were similar in both groups ranging from 14.0% to 19.8% in the Tritanrix HB + Hib + Quinvaxem and

from selleck chemicals llc 12.0% to 19.6% in the Quinvaxem only group. Upper respiratory tract infections were most frequently reported; most unsolicited AEs were of mild severity. Two subjects, both in the Tritanrix HB + Hib + Quinvaxem group, experienced SAEs: one subject died (severe respiratory failure secondary to severe pneumonia secondary to severe viral encephalitis starting one week after the third Quinvaxem vaccination), the other was withdrawn from the study (idiopathic thrompocytopoenic purpura developing 12 days after vaccination with Tritanrix

HB + Hib). All SAEs were considered unrelated to the study vaccines. This study provides scientific evidence on the interchangeability of wP pentavalent vaccines in a primary vaccination course in infants according to a 6–10–14 week schedule. Our most important finding is that Quinvaxem given interchangeably with Tritanrix HB + Hib was shown to be non-inferior to a full vaccination course of Quinvaxem. Seroprotection rates for all antigens and seroconversion rates for pertussis were high, with most if not all subjects achieving seroprotection or seroconversion one month after the third vaccination, irrespective of the vaccination group. Immune responses observed in our study to Tritanrix™ HB + Hib + Quinvaxem were comparable to responses seen in previous studies with Tritanrix™ HB + Hib only [14] and [15] or Quinvaxem only regimens

[3]. In our study, a high percentage of infants (88.7–91.9%) CT99021 supplier were seroprotected at baseline against tetanus. In 1999, the Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) Elimination Initiative was jointly set up by the WHO and UNICEF, aiming to eliminate MNT in those countries which had not yet done so [16]. The Philippines has an active maternal tetanus immunization program, and although MNT has not yet been eliminated, the percentage coverage of protection at birth against neonatal tetanus from has increased over the last years from 22% in 2009 to 39% in 2011 [17]. The high percentage of seroprotection against tetanus observed in infants included in our study is possibly attributable to this. Additionally, the baseline seroprotection rate against Hib was also high, at 83.0–84.8%. This is in line with data reported in the literature. In one study with Tritanrix™ HB + Hib in Filipino infants, Hib seroprotection rates of 64.5–65.3% were reported [14]. Furthermore, Ortega-Barrìa et al. [18] report on the results of four phase III studies using a novel pentavalent combination vaccine compared with Tritanrix™ HB + Hib conducted in Panama/Nicaragua, Turkey, Belgium and the Philippines. The baseline seroprotection rates against Hib were 62.4–63.6% in the Philippines – much higher than values reported in the other countries (19.6–47.1%).