VACCINE

Vaccine • October 1991
Adverse reactions after injection of
adsorbed diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine
are not due only to pertussis organisms
or pertussis components in the vaccine
Author information
Gupta RK1, Relyveld EH.
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
Abstract
Reactions to adsorbed diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine have mostly been attributed
to the pertussis organisms or pertussis components in the vaccine. Nevertheless
reactions may also be due to other factors such as sensitization induced by aluminium
adjuvants and impurities present in crude toxoids that cannot be removed by purification
of toxoids after formalinization. Aluminium compounds such as aluminium phosphate
and aluminium hydroxide are the most commonly used adjuvants with vaccines
for human use. Due to the increasing concern about the toxicity of aluminium, other
adjuvants like calcium phosphate may be evaluated as an alternative to aluminium adjuvants.
To minimize reactions after immunization with DPT vaccine due to impurities
in the toxoids, the use of toxoided purified toxins is suggested.
“... reactions may also be due to other factors
such as sensitization induced by aluminium adjuvants
and impurities present in crude toxoids that cannot be
removed by purification of toxoids after formalinization.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=1759487