ProQuad vaccine

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The ProQuad vaccine, approved in 2005 for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, combines (measles, mumps, rubella) and chickenpox vaccine. ProQuad, administered via injection for protection against four viral infectious diseases, contains about ten times more chickenpox vaccine than the Varivax brand of varicella (chickenpox). The quadruple vaccine, marketed by pharmaceutical giant Merck, is generally administered to children around the age of one year.

1 Combined vaccines
2 Contraindications
3 Adverse events
4 External links

[edit] Combined vaccines

Combined vaccinations are now widely used around the world, a result of the rapid increase in the number of shots recommended in current vaccination schedules.

Proquad combines four well-established Merck vaccines. In the United States, MMR II has been credited with contributing to a greater than 99 percent reduction in the incidence of measles, mumps and rubella, which have been associated with serious complications and once claimed tens of thousands of lives each year in the US alone. Since its FDA approval in 1995, Varivax has been credited with contributing to a significant reduction in the number of chickenpox cases in the US.

[edit] Contraindications

For individuals who are moderately or severely ill, it is generally recommended that they wait until after recovery before getting ProQuad. No such precautions are recommended for minor illnesses, such as a cold.
It is recommended that aspirin or aspirin containing products should be avoided for at least six weeks after receiving ProQuad vaccine. A serious condition called Reye's Syndrome has been reported in patients with chicken pox.
Individuals should not receive ProQuad without first consulting their doctor if there is a history of a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin, eggs, the antibiotic neomycin, or a previous MMR or chicken pox vaccine

Doctors are advised to be aware of whether or not a patient has HIV, AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system, is taking a medication that affects the immune system, has cancer, a fever or active untreated tuberculosis, is receiving cancer treatment, or has ever had a low platelet count (a blood disorder). ·

[edit] Adverse events

Rare but serious adverse events reported following ProQuad vaccination include allergic reactions, including swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; difficulty breathing or closing of the throat; hives; paleness; weakness; dizziness; a fast heart beat; deafness; long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness; permanent brain damage; seizures (jerking or staring) caused by fever; or temporary low platelet count.

[edit] External links

Merck.com - 'FDA Approves ProQuad®, the First and Only Vaccine in the U.S. to Help Protect Children Against Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Chickenpox in One Shot: ProQuad® Combines Two Well-Established Merck Vaccines, M-M-R®II and Varivax® (press release), Merck (September 6, 2005)
DentalPlans.com - 'FDA approves combination vaccine' (September, 2005)
FDA.gov - Product Approval Information - Licensing Action: Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella Virus Vaccine Live (ProQuad) Merck & Co', Food and Drug Administration (September 6, 2005)
MedicalNewsToday.com - 'Cochrane Library publishes the most thorough survey of MMR vaccination data', Medical News Today
WashingtonTimes.com - 'The Age of Autism: Pox -- Part 2', Dan Olmsted, UPI (April 20, 2006)