Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, polio, hib vaccine Intramuscular and alcohol

• Generic Name: diphtheria toxoid / haemophilus b conjugate (prp-t) vaccine / pertussis, acellular / poliovirus vaccine, inactivated / tetanus toxoid
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Pentacel

Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (also known as DTaP) combined with inactivated poliovirus and Haemophilus B conjugate vaccine (also known as IPV and Hib) is a combination vaccine that is given to protect against infections caused by diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw), pertussis (whooping cough), poliovirus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. The vaccine works by causing the body to produce its own protection (antibodies) against these diseases. This vaccine is only given to infants and children who are 6 weeks to 4 years of age, and is given before the child's 5th birthday.

Diphtheria is a serious illness that can cause breathing difficulties, heart problems, nerve damage, pneumonia, and possibly death. The risk of serious complications is greater in very young children and the elderly.

Tetanus (also known as lockjaw) is a very serious illness that causes seizures and severe muscle spasms that can be strong enough to cause bone fractures of the spine. The disease continues to occur almost exclusively among people who do not get vaccinated or do not have enough protection from previous vaccines.

Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) is a serious disease that causes severe spells of coughing that can interfere with breathing. Pertussis can also cause pneumonia, long-lasting bronchitis, seizures, brain damage, and death.

Polio is a very serious infection that causes paralysis of the muscles, including the muscles that enable you to walk and breathe. A polio infection may leave a person unable to breathe without the help of a breathing machine. It may also leave a person unable to walk without leg braces or being confined to a wheelchair. There is no cure for polio.

Infection by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria can cause life-threatening illnesses, such as meningitis, which affects the brain; epiglottitis, which affects the throat and can cause death by suffocation; pericarditis, which affects the heart; pneumonia, which affects the lungs; and septic arthritis, which affects the bones and joints.

This vaccine is to be administered only by or under the supervision of your child's doctor or other authorized health care professional.