Infanrix Hexa Special Precautions

As with other vaccines, administration of Infanrix hexa should be postponed in subjects suffering from acute severe febrile illness. The presence of a minor infection is not a contraindication.
Vaccination should be preceded by a review of the medical history (especially with regard to previous vaccination and possible occurrence of undesirable events) and a clinical examination.
A protective immune response may not be elicited in all vaccinees (see Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions).
Infanrix hexa will not prevent disease caused by pathogens other than Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Clostridium tetani, Bordetella pertussis, hepatitis B virus, poliovirus or Haemophilus influenzae type b. However, it can be expected that hepatitis D will be prevented by immunisation as hepatitis D (caused by the delta agent) does not occur in the absence of hepatitis B infection.
If any of the following events are known to have occurred in temporal relation to receipt of pertussis-containing vaccine, the decision to give further doses of pertussis-containing vaccines should be carefully considered: Temperature of ≥ 40.0°C within 48 hours of vaccination, not due to another identifiable cause.
Collapse or shock-like state (hypotonic hyporesponsive episode) within 48 hours of vaccination.
Persistent, inconsolable crying lasting ≥ 3 hours, occurring within 48 hours of vaccination.
Convulsions with or without fever, occurring within 3 days of vaccination.
There may be circumstances, such as a high incidence of pertussis, when the potential benefits outweigh possible risks.
In children with progressive neurological disorders, including infantile spasms, uncontrolled epilepsy or progressive encephalopathy, it is better to defer pertussis (Pa or Pw) immunisation until the condition is corrected or stable. However, the decision to give pertussis vaccine must be made on an individual basis after careful consideration of the risks and benefits.
As with all injectable vaccines, appropriate medical treatment and supervision should always be readily available in case of a rare anaphylactic event following the administration of the vaccine.
Infanrix hexa should be administered with caution to subjects with thrombocytopenia or a bleeding disorder since bleeding may occur following an intramuscular administration to these subjects.
Do not administer the vaccine intravascularly or intradermally.
A history of febrile convulsions, a family history of convulsions or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) do not constitute contraindications for the use of Infanrix hexa. Vaccinees with a history of febrile convulsions should be closely followed up as such adverse events may occur within 2 to 3 days post vaccination.
Data from clinical studies indicate that, when Infanrix hexa is co-administered with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the rate of febrile reactions is higher compared to that occurring following the administration of Infanrix hexa alone.
Increased reporting rates of convulsions (with or without fever) and hypotonic hyporesponsive episode (HHE) were observed with concomitant administration of Infanrix hexa and Prevenar 13 (see Adverse Reactions).
Antipyretic treatment should be initiated according to local treatment guidelines.
Syncope (fainting) can occur following, or even before, any vaccination as a psychogenic response to the needle injection. It is important that procedures are in place to avoid injury from faints.
Special populations: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is not considered as a contraindication. The expected immunological response may not be obtained after vaccination of immunosuppressed patients.
Clinical data indicate that Infanrix hexa can be given to preterm infants, however, as expected in this population, a lower immune response has been observed for some antigens (see Adverse Reactions and Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions).
The potential risk of apnoea and the need for respiratory monitoring for 48-72h should be considered when administering the primary immunisation series to very preterm infants (born ≤ 28 weeks of gestation) and particularly for those with a previous history of respiratory immaturity. As the benefit of vaccination is high in these infants, vaccination should not be withheld or delayed.
Interference with laboratory testing: Since the Hib capsular polysaccharide antigen is excreted in the urine a positive urine test can be observed within 2 weeks following vaccination. Other tests should be performed in order to confirm Hib infection during this period.
Effects on Ability to Drive and Use Machines: Not relevant.