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MMRV vaccines safe with HAV, PCV7; blunted response noted
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Administering the combination measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine together with hepatitis A and 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines is safe, but may result in a dulled response to the varicella component, according to a recent study results.
Mark M. Blatter, MD, of the Pediatric Alliance in Pittsburgh, and colleagues compared two MMRV vaccines, GlaxoSmithKline’s Priorix-Tetra (store refrigerated [GSK+4C] or frozen [GSK-20C]) and Merck’s ProQuad (Merck-20C), to examine safety and immunogenicity when coadministered with hepatitis A (HAV; Havrix, GlaxoSmithKline) and PCV7 (Prevnar, Pfizer). The researchers analyzed results from 1,621 children aged 12 to 14 months, 632 of whom received GSK+4C, 636 of whom received GSK-20C and 353 of whom received Merck-20C.
Blatter and colleagues reported that based on serotype reports, MMR were all immunogenic in all vaccine types. However, varicella was not fully immunogenic, with seroresponse rates at 57.1% for GSK+4C, 69.8% for GSK-20 and 86.7% for Merck-20C when coadministered with HAV and PCV7. They said the blunted antibody response deserves further study.
Because there have been reports of febrile seizures associated with MMRV vaccine administration, “the current ACIP recommendation (2010) is that for the first dose of [MMR] and VZV vaccines at age 12 to 47 months, either MMR vaccine and VZV vaccine or MMRV may be used; however, families without a strong preference for MMRV should receive MMR and VZV vaccine separately,” the researchers said.
Disclosure: GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals in Rixensart, Belgium, provided funding for the study.
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