Pentavalent vaccine

A pentavalent vaccine, or 5-in-1 vaccine, is a combination vaccine with five individual vaccines conjugated into one, intended to actively protect people from multiple diseases. A pentavalent vaccine, or 5-in-1 vaccine, is a combination vaccine with five individual vaccines conjugated into one, intended to actively protect people from multiple diseases. The most widely-used example is a vaccine that protects against Haemophilus influenzae type B (a bacterium that causes meningitis, pneumonia and otitis), whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and diphtheria. The generic name for this vaccine is diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whole cell), hepatitis B (rDNA) and Haemophilus influenzae type B conjugate vaccine (absorbed) or DTP-HepB-Hib. This pentavalent vaccine has largely supplanted other pediatric combination vaccines, especially in middle- and low-income countries. By 2013, pentavalent vaccines accounted for 100% of the DTP-containing vaccines procured by UNICEF, which supplies vaccines to a large proportion of the world's children. Common versions of pentavalent vaccines include Quinvaxem, Pentavac PFS, Easyfive TT, ComBE Five, Shan5, and Pentabio. In October 2004, the European Medicines Agency granted marketing approval within the EU to the pentavalent vaccine Quintanrix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Quintanrix was voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturer in 2008. In September 2006, the first pentavalent vaccine formulation received pre-qualification approval from the World Health Organization. In 2012, UNICEF and the World Health Organization issued and recommended a joint statement to the Immunization Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and other developing nations in separate documents about the use of pentavalent vaccines to protect against five of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable death in children. By 2013, pentavalent vaccines accounted for 100% of the DTP-containing vaccines procured by UNICEF, which supplies vaccines to a large proportion of the world's children. In 2014, South Sudan became the last of the 73 GAVI-supported countries to introduce the five-in-one vaccine. In May 2010, Crucell N.V. announced a US$110 million award from UNICEF to supply its pentavalent pediatric vaccine Quinvaxem to the developing world.