ADVERSE EVENTS POST-DTAP AND DTwP VACCINATION IN THAI CHILDREN

We conducted a prospective study to compare the development of fever (axillary T ≥ 37.9 °C) within 4 hours of vaccination, determine the proportion of children who develop high fever (T ≥ 39°C) and evaluate parental days missed from work due to their children's vaccination with either the diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis (DTwP) or diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine. The results of this study can help physicians and parents decide whether to have their child vaccinated with the DTwP or more expensive DTaP vaccine. We studied 140 healthy Thai children aged 2 months to 6 years from December 2011 to March 2012 who presented for vaccination. Parents recorded their child's temperature, local and systemic adverse reactions and missed days from work due to these adverse events on a diary card. Of the 140 participants, 72 received the DTwP vaccine and 68 received the DTaP vaccine. The median (IQR) age was 4 (2-6) months and the median weight was 7.1 (5.6-8.7) kg. Twenty children developed fever (axillary T ≥ 37.9°C) within 4 hours following vaccination, 17 (23.6%) had received the DTwP vaccine and 3 (4.4%) had received the DTaP vaccine (p = 0.040). One child (1.4%) who had received the DTwP vaccine and none who received the DTaP vaccine developed high fever (T ≥ 39°C) within 4 hours of vaccination (p = 0.329). Parents of two children who received the DTwP vaccine and one child who received the DTaP vaccine missed work following vaccination (p = 0.059). In conclusion, children who received the DTwP vaccines were more likely to have early post-vaccination fever and higher fever but there was no significant difference between the two groups in parental days lost from work.