Immunogenicity and safety of DTaP/Hib combined vaccination at different inoculation sites among infants

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP/Hib) combined vaccination at different inoculation sites. Methods From September 2015 to March 2016 in Nanping city of Fujian province, China, a total of 164 infants aged 3 months were enrolled and assigned into three groups randomly for inoculations with 3 doses of the DTaP/Hib combined vaccine at 3-, 4-, and 5-month of age at three injection sites including deltoid muscle of upper arm, anterolateral thigh muscle and gluteal muscle. Follow-up observations on adverse effects after each dose of the vaccinations were conducted among all the infants and blood samples were collected before the first dose and 28 days after basic immunization for the detection on immunogenicity. ResultsThe incidence of adverse reactions was low after inoculations of DTaP/Hib combined vaccine at the three different injection sites, and there was no significant difference in the incidence among the infants of the three groups; there were also no significant disparities in positive rate, seroconversion rate, geometric mean concentration and geometric mean increase (GMI) for antibodies among the three groups, except for an observed higher GMI of diphtheria antibody in the infants with the injections into anterolateral thigh muscle than that in the infants with the injections into gluteal muscle. Conclusion Deltoid muscle of upper arm, anterolateral thigh muscle and gluteal muscle all could be used as injection sites for the inoculation of DTaP/Hib combined vaccine and the injection sites do not affect the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine.

Keywords

• diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis/haemophilus influenzae type b
• combined vaccine
• injection site
• safety
• immunogenicity