What is the Difference Between Penta and Hexa Vaccine

The key difference between penta and hexa vaccine is that penta vaccine is a combination of five individual vaccines to protect against five diseases, while hexa vaccine is a combination of six individual vaccines to protect against six diseases.

Immunization is a process where a person is protected against diseases through vaccination. A vaccine is a preparation of liquid solutions used to stimulate the immune responses of the body against infectious diseases. Vaccines are mostly administered using a needle into the body. Therefore, vaccines boost the immune system and prevent serious and life-threatening diseases. There are combination vaccines as well as individual vaccines. Combination vaccines act against multiple diseases since multiple types of vaccines are conjugated into one vaccine. Penta and Hexa vaccines are two types of multiple vaccines.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Penta Vaccine
3. What is Hexa Vaccine
4. Similarities – Penta and Hexa Vaccine
5. Penta vs Hexa Vaccine in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Penta vs Hexa Vaccine

What is Penta Vaccine?

Penta vaccine, also known as pentavalent vaccine or 5-in-1 vaccine, is a combination vaccine with five separate vaccines conjugated into one vaccine. Penta vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. The conjugated liquid DTPw-HepB-Hib vaccine is given as a booster to children after the vaccination course with another pentavalent booster. Suspension for this injection is in a multidose vial.

This vaccine is injected into the anterolateral part of the thigh in children younger than two years and into the deltoid muscle in children older than two years. The first dose is given at six weeks of age, the second dose at ten weeks of age, and the third dose is at fourteen weeks of age. Vaccination is postponed if a severe acute febrile illness is present and not administered in the event of any allergic reactions. The vaccine causes side effects such as pain at the site and redness, fever, headache, pain, malaise, myalgia, and anaphylactic reactions. The penta vaccine is usually stored between 2 °C and 8 °C.

What is Hexa Vaccine?

Hexa vaccine, which is also known as hexavalent vaccine or 6 in 1 vaccine, is a combination vaccine of six individual vaccines conjugated into one vaccine to protect against multiple diseases. Hexa vaccine provides protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, haemophilus B, and hepatitis B. This liquid vaccine is abbreviated as DTaP-HepB-IPV-Hib or DTPa-HepB-IPV-Hib. The suspension consists of diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, and inactivated poliomyelitis (DTaP-IPV-HepB or DTPa-HBV-IPV) vaccine, which is used to reconstitute freeze-dried Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) powder.

This vaccine is usually given in three doses. The first dose is given at the age of six weeks, the second dose is given at three months, and the third dose is given at five months of age. The Hib booster dose is usually given at 15 months. Common responses such as mild pain, redness and swelling around the site, vomiting, diarrhoea, lack of appetite, irritability, unusual crying, restlessness, and limb swelling. The hexa vaccine is stored in the refrigerator between 2°C and 8°C. The Infanrix Hexa is the most common prescription medicine used as a vaccine.

What are the Similarities Between Penta and Hexa Vaccine?

• Penta and hexa vaccines provide protection against multiple diseases.
• Both are given to infants.
• Booster doses are followed for both vaccines.
• Both act against diphtheria, tetanus, haemophilus B, and hepatitis B.
• These vaccines require three doses.
• Moreover, both are intramuscular injections.
• Common responses such as redness, pain, and swelling around the injection site are observed after penta and hexa vaccines.
• Both are stored in the refrigerator between 2°C and 8°C.

What is the Difference Between Penta and Hexa Vaccine?

Penta vaccine is a combination of five individual vaccines to protect against five diseases, while hexa vaccine is a combination of six individual vaccines to protect against six diseases. Thus, this is the key difference between penta and hexa vaccine. Penta vaccines act against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Hexa vaccines act against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, haemophilus B, and hepatitis B.

Below is a summary of the difference between penta and hexa vaccine in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Penta vs Hexa Vaccine

Penta and Hexa vaccines are two types of multiple vaccines. Penta vaccine is a combination of five individual vaccines to protect against five diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Hexa vaccine is a combination of six individual vaccines to protect against six diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, haemophilus B, and hepatitis B. The 1st dose of penta vaccine is given at six weeks of age, 2^nd dose at ten weeks of age, and 3^rd dose at fourteen weeks of age. The 1^st dose of hexa vaccine is given at the age of six weeks, 2^nd dose at three months, and 3^rd dose at five months of age. So, this summarizes the difference between penta and hexa vaccine.

Reference:

1. “Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Hib Vaccine.” MSF Medical Guidelines.
2. “Infanrix-Hexa.” Immunisaton Advisory Centre.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Vaccination-impfspritze-medicine” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Hib for infanrix hexa” By Whispyhistory – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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