Philip A. Gilly, MD, FAAFP
Family
Practice Board Certified
A baby born this year could need as many as 18 preventive shots by age 16. New combinations of vaccines already available can reduce that number to 14, but that is still almost twice as many as recommended a decade ago.
Since 1996, a chicken pox vaccine was added, two shots were suggested to replace the first two oral doses of the polio vaccine, and the hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for every child.
Three groups that help set vaccine policy in the United States – the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices – are now writing new guidelines, which should be finished in the next few months.
Vaccine makers are being encouraged to develop new combinations. There already is a four-vaccine combination for diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus-Hib, and a two-vaccine for hepatitis B and Hib. Expected soon are a mix of DTP and polio vaccines, as well as a mix of Hib, hepatitis B and poilio vaccines.
There is however a downside for this potentially increased convenience. Some early studies show that combining too many vaccines may weaken the effects of the individual components. The new combined vaccinations will also be more expensive than the individual components given separately.
This information provides a general overview on this subject and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to learn how to get more information. More health-related information is available on this and many other topics on the World Wide Web from Dr. Gilly’s Health Resource Directory and from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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