Neonatal Intensive Care Drug Manual

However, the vaccine is stable for up to eight hours at room temperature.

Protect from light.

1. 
   Do not give INFANRIX hexa at birth.
   
2. 
   Preterm infants should be vaccinated according to their chronological age from birth.
   
3. 
   Immune response to some Hib conjugate vaccines has been reduced in infants born prematurely.
   
4. 
   The first dose of INFANRIX hexa can be given at 6 weeks of age due to the high morbidity and occasional mortality associated with pertussis in very young infants. If the first dose is given at 6 weeks of age, the next scheduled doses should still be at 4 and 6 months.
   
5. 
   Paracetamol may be prescribed (15 mg/kg/dose) for administration at 4 hourly intervals after immunisation (maximum of 4 doses in a 24 hour period) for a fever > 38.5°C or significant pain if the child is miserable. Prophylactic administration of paracetamol at the time of, or immediately after, vaccination to reduce the risk of fever is not routinely recommended, with the exception of children < 2 years of age receiving meningococcal B vaccine and whole cell pertussis (DTPa).
   
6. 
   The vastus lateralis muscle in the anterolateral thigh is the recommended site for IM vaccination in infants < 12 months of age. The deltoid muscle or ventrogluteal area is the recommended site for IM vaccination in children > 12 months of age.
   
7. 
   Children with congenital limb malformation(s) should receive their vaccines in an unaffected limb where possible. The ventrogluteal area can also be considered.
   
8. 
   NSW Health has provided free antenatal pertussis vaccinations for every woman during every pregnancy.
   
9. 
   There is currently no evidence to suggest infants require an extra DTPa vaccine at 18 months of age if their mother received antenatal pertussis vaccine.
   
10. 
    Interruption of the recommended schedule with a delay between doses should not interfere with the final immunity achieved with Infanrix hexa. Refer to The Australian Immunisation Handbook for catch-up schedule.