Saving a Needlestick in Travelers
Source: Vodopija IV, et al. J Travel Med 1997;4:114-117.
Since many travellers to developing countries require both hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines, Vodopija and colleagues thought to evaluate the safety and tolerance of both vaccines when combined in a single injection. Fifty adult volunteers were randomly assigned to receive separate injections of Havrix (SmithKline Beecham) and Typhim Vi (Pasteur-Merieux) or a single injection of both vaccines. In order to mix the vaccines, the pre-filled typhoid vaccine was injected into the vial of Havrix, mixed, and the total contents (1.5 mL) aspirated into a fresh syringe for injection. Both groups received a booster dose of Havrix at six months, and antibody responses to HAV were assessed at one, six, and seven months. (The immune responses to typhoid fever vaccine were not assessed.)
Both groups reported pain at the injection site(s), although the group that received two injections reported more frequent discomfort. Antibody responses to HAV tended to be higher in patients receiving the combined vaccine compared with the separate administration of Havrix, but this difference was only significant at month seven. No adverse or systemic symptoms were reported. Combining both of these vaccines may offer greater comfort and convenience than their separate administration.
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