When the baby turns three months old, the time comes to do the first DTP vaccine. It is aimed at developing immunity in the child's body to such serious infectious diseases as whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. The vaccine of the same name for these diseases is not used today. She was replaced by new effective drugs. And here the question arises for mothers: what vaccine is better to choose for your baby - Infanrix or Pentaxim? How do they differ, what contraindications do they have and how do children tolerate them? But first things first.
Differences in Vaccine Composition
Of course, it is necessary to start with the fact that these two vaccines were developed by very reputable foreign pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, we can say with confidence that these are well-purified and safe preparations. They do not contain the causative agent itself, but only its fragmented antigens. But this statement is 100 percent true only for the Infanrix drug. But the Pentaxim vaccine still includes inactivated polio pathogens. But they are completely devoid of their virulence. Despite the similarities between these two drugs, it is very difficult to answer which is better and safer - Infanrix or Pentaxim. And to compare them, based on the composition, is wrong. After all, the Infanrix vaccine includes three components, and the Pentaxim drug - five, antigens of poliomyelitis and the causative agent of
hemophilic infection are added to it
. It is also important that mercury is absent among the accompanying substances, but there is aluminum hydroxide and by no means a harmless formaldehyde.
Contraindications to the use of the drug "Infanrix"
So, Infanrix or Pentaxim? Making a choice between vaccines, it will not be out of place to get acquainted with contraindications to the use of these drugs. First of all, the Infanrix vaccine is prohibited for administration to people with individual intolerance to the components that make up its composition, or if this drug has already been used and an allergic reaction has occurred. As a rule, the symptoms of hypersensitivity are high body temperature (39-40 ° C) and swelling over 8 cm in diameter at the injection site. More severe complications can be observed, such as a shock state, continuous crying lasting three hours or more, and convulsions.
Contraindications to the use of the Pentaxim vaccine
The choice of drugs for DTP vaccination is not great at all: either Pentaxim or Infanrix. But how hard it is to decide on these vaccines! The drug "Pentaxim" is not used if hypersensitivity to its components is observed. Also, it is not prescribed for small patients with encephalopathy. This drug is not strictly recommended for babies who have a strong reaction within 48 hours after the previous vaccine, which contained the pertussis component. First of all, these are symptoms such as convulsions, hyperthermia, continuous crying. Naturally, the Pentaxim vaccine is not administered to children if they have previously had an allergic reaction to its components. It is also worth paying close attention to the injection site. Swelling should be small. Pentaxim and Infanrix vaccines are not administered during the development of acute respiratory diseases in the body, which are accompanied even by a slight increase in temperature. It is also better to temporarily refuse vaccination in case of exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Adverse reactions of the drug "Infanrix"
Having considered contraindications to the use of Pentaxim and Infanrix vaccines, differences can be found, but they are insignificant. Now you need to carefully read the adverse reactions that cause these drugs. Let's start with the Infanrix vaccine. After its use, local symptoms may be observed. This is primarily redness, pain, slight swelling. You can also often observe common symptoms - a slight fever, continuous crying, diarrhea and vomiting, drowsiness, refusal to eat, anxiety. But they all disappear within 48 hours. After prescribing the Infanrix drug, allergic reactions are rarely observed. In isolated cases, the vaccine causes shock and convulsions. Also in the practice of using the Infanrix vaccine, adverse events such as dermatitis, cough, bronchitis, rhinitis, respiratory failure and otitis media were noted. But these cases are extremely rare, their frequency does not exceed 2-4%.
Side effects of the Pentaxim vaccine
When using the Pentaxim vaccine in babies, local symptoms may develop, as well as a number of undesirable systemic effects. At the injection site, slight redness, slight swelling, and swelling may occur. There is an increase in temperature to 39 ° C. The child may be anxious or, conversely, be lethargic and drowsy. Often after vaccination diarrhea and vomiting appear. More complex symptoms include continuous
crying of the child, lasting three hours or more. All these
side effects occur within 48 hours. They pass by themselves and do not require intervention from a doctor. Among systemic adverse reactions to the drug Pentaxim, sleep disorder and hyperthermia can also be distinguished. So what is better - Infanrix or Pentaxim? Judging by the side effects that they cause in the baby's body, these two vaccines are not significantly different from each other.
Cases of allergic reaction to Pentaxim and Infanrix vaccines
When using Pentaxim and Infanrix drugs in babies, allergic reactions were very rare in the first and subsequent injections of the vaccine. There have been cases of hives and rashes on the skin. Hypotension is also possible. In isolated cases, children developed febrile and afebrile convulsions. But still the possibility of more serious complications is not ruled out. Conducting urgent therapy requires cases of anaphylactic reactions, including shock. That is why in the office, where the vaccination procedure is carried out directly, there should be anti-shock drugs. In rare cases, babies may develop an allergic reaction in the form of edema of the lower extremities. It is difficult to answer the question of how Infanrix differs from Pentaxim. Both drugs cause similar allergic reactions, which, however, are relatively rare.
Special instructions for vaccination
Before the vaccination procedure, the pediatrician must examine the history of the small patient. It is necessary to pay attention to the previous administration of drugs, to check whether there were allergic reactions. Next, the child is examined, the temperature is measured. If the baby has signs of the development of an acute respiratory disease, then vaccination should be postponed, as this is a contraindication to the administration of the Infanrix and Pentaxim preparations. Vaccinations can be done only if the baby is completely healthy, so you need to wait for the disappearance of all symptoms of the disease and normalization of body temperature. Since vaccines can cause such a formidable complication as
anaphylactic shock, the child should be under the supervision of doctors for at least 30 minutes after administration of the drug. Infanrix and Pentaxim vaccines should be used with extreme caution in patients with impaired blood coagulation or thrombocytopenia. This is due to the fact that intramuscular injection can provoke bleeding. To avoid this, you need to press on the injection site for three minutes without rubbing it.
How are vaccines carried by children?
Young parents who are faced with a choice - Infanrix or Pentaxim, are primarily concerned about the possible consequences of vaccination for their baby. Knowing all the contraindications, complications and side effects, it is still impossible to predict how the baby's body can cope with the vaccine. It is believed that the Infanrix drug is easier to tolerate, and the percentage of risk of developing local reactions to it is slightly less. This vaccine contains only fragments of antigens of pathogenic microorganisms of causative agents of dangerous infections, and this reduces the likelihood of developing systemic complications. But, on the other hand, the child will have to administer the missing components by separate vaccinations, and this, on the contrary, increases the risks of local reactions. So which drug is more reliable - Infanrix or Pentaxim? Reviews show that both of them are trustworthy. And what vaccine to choose is a matter for every parent.
Drug interaction
Following the rules adopted in the Russian Federation, Infanrix and Pentaxim drugs can be administered on the same day as other vaccines, which are included in the National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations. But it must be remembered that other substances must be introduced into other parts of the body. Infanrix and Hiberix vaccines may be mixed, but the solvent is not used. Still, many pediatricians do not approve of the single administration of several vaccines. Such loads on the child’s immunity, in their opinion, increase the risk of complications.
Can I use Infanrix after Pentaxim?
Of course, all vaccines are interchangeable. But here it is worth remembering that the Pentaxim preparation contains antibodies from five pathogens of infectious diseases at once. But in the Infanrix vaccine there are only three of them. Therefore, whenever possible, the use of different drugs should be avoided. It is best to dwell on one and vaccinate only them. In principle, it is more reliable to prescribe the drug Pentaxim or Infanrix hexa, which contains not three, but six components. But, unfortunately, it is not produced in Russia, so you cannot call it cheap.