ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Vaccinations in school-aged children are required by state and local law to maintain high vaccination coverage rates, as well as low rates of vaccine-preventable diseases. Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis are childhood diseases that can be life threatening; poliomyelitis, another childhood disease, can be disabling. In turn, vaccinations were developed to provide protection against these diseases. Today, several vaccinations are recommended for children, including but not limited to diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) and poliomyelitis (IPV). DTaP requires five doses, and IPV requires four. Quadracel (diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed and inactivated poliovirus vaccine, Sanofi Pasteur Inc.) is a new vaccination developed to condense the last dose of both DTaP and IPV so they do not have to be given separately, thus reducing the total number of vaccinations required. DISCUSSION: The Quadracel vaccine is an option for use in children who are completing the DTaP and IPV series. In a randomized, controlled, phase 3, pivotal trial, Quadracel proved to be as efficacious and safe as Daptacel (diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed, Sanofi Pasteur Inc.) and IPOL (poliovirus vaccine inactivated, Sanofi Pasteur Inc.), given separately, to children between the ages of 4 and 6 years. CONCLUSION: Quadracel should be recommended to parents who have children between the ages of 4 and 6 years who meet the necessary administration criteria and need to finalize their DTaP and IPV series. Quadracel's administration in the vaccination series replaces one additional injection, which may benefit children who are afraid of receiving shots and parents who need to schedule one less doctor's appointment.
