Immunogenicità e sicurezza dei vaccini combinati esavalenti: comparazione dei prodotti attualmente disponibili e considerazioni pratiche

Exhavalent combination vaccines represent a valuable technological innovation in the prevention of infectious diseases and an effective public health tool, because of their health and economic value. In order to increase parents’ and healthcare professionals’ confidence in the vaccination programs and maintain their benefits to society, the benefits of innovative vaccination tools such as combination vaccines need to be known by healthcare professionists and parents. Purpose of this work is an examination of available hexavalent vaccines, that protect against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Poliomyelitis, Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b infections. In this paper the epidemiological updates of vaccine preventable diseases to the vaccine development cycle, from the immunogenicity of antigenic components to the safety and co-administration with other vaccines, several aspects of available hexavalent vaccines are discussed. Also some practical considerations on schedules, age of employment, strategies for vaccination recovery, vaccination in at-risk births are reported, based on the most important international and national scientific societies.