Journal article
Estimated costs attributable to events of "out-of-temperature" in the stockpiling of hexavalent vaccines occurring in Italy
Antigens contained in vaccines are inherently unstable biologically; such a characteristic is conferred by their three-dimensional structure. Preserving the ability of the vaccines to protect against disease is necessary to ensure the supervision and monitoring of all steps of the cold chain. DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine (Infanrix hexaTM, GSK Vaccines, Belgium) is designed to prevent disease due to diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP), hepatitis B virus (HBV), poliomyelitis and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib); it was first licensed for use in Europe in 2000 and is currently licensed in at least 95 countries. Since October 2013, more than 102 million doses of GSK\'s DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine have been distributed globally, with nearly 15 million doses distributed in Italy. DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib components are stable up to a temperature of 25°C for 72 hours. Lacking of officially approved stability data may generate some concern in case of cold chain accidents.
Authors
Languages
- English
Publication year
2015
Journal
Ann Ig.
Volume
5
Type
Journal article
Categories
- Supply chain & logistics
Diseases
- Diphtheria
- Hepatitis B
- HIB
- Pertussis
- Polio
- Tetanus
Countries
- Italy
