Pentashield Vaccine

Pentashield Vaccine is to be administered by your child’s doctor only. It is injected into the thigh muscles of infants. In older children, the vaccine is administered into the arm muscle. It is administered in 3 doses, each 4 weeks apart, preferably before the age of 6 months. Generally, it is recommended to administer the 1st dose at 6 weeks of age, the 2nd dose at 10 weeks of age, and the 3rd dose at 14 weeks of age. If a child has not received the 1st dose by the age of his initial year, start vaccination as soon as possible and consult your child’s doctor for the schedule.

Pentashield Vaccine can cause some minor and temporary side effects such as fever, irritation, loss of appetite, injection site reaction (pain, swelling, redness), and skin rash. However, these episodes do not last very long and subside on their own. If worrisome, do seek the doctor's help.

Talk to your child’s doctor before vaccination if your child has a history of liver problems, kidney problems, blood disorders, birth defects, heart problems, lung problems, severe pain or swelling of the limbs, or Guillain-Barré syndrome. Also, let your doctor know if your child has or had any severe allergic reactions to any medicine. You should also consult your doctor if your child has ever been in a coma or has had brain or nervous system problems like seizures before scheduling a vaccination appointment. This information is important for the doctor to prepare a corresponding vaccination schedule.

• Prevention of Tetanus
• Prevention of Pertussis
• Prevention of Diphtheria
• Prevention of Hepatitis B infection
• Prevention of Haemophilus influenzae Type b disease

• Maintain a log of your child’s vaccination history. Be sure to ask for a personal record card or a printed copy of your child’s vaccinations. Whenever your child receives a vaccine, make sure your copy gets updated.
• Vaccines can ensure the best protection when given at the right time. The Government of India has designed a National Immunization Schedule which suggests a timeline for vaccines to be given to infants, young children, and adolescents when they are vulnerable to specific vaccine-preventable diseases.
• The duration of immunity varies with different diseases and different vaccines. Usually, the protection provided by vaccines decreases gradually over time. Neither natural infection nor vaccination may be able to provide lifelong immunity. Therefore, booster doses are sometimes recommended for certain vaccines, at specific ages.