title: Considerations for combination vaccine development and use in the developing world.
abstract: As more vaccines are developed and become available, combination vaccines will provide a way of delivering multiple antigens to avoid multiple injections and complications in the regular immunization schedules. The advantages of combination vaccines are that they decrease the discomfort of vaccine recipients and parents and also reduce the delivery cost of vaccines. We address some of the issues related to the use of combination vaccines in the developing world. Which vaccines are needed? Do developing countries have the appropriate infrastructure to deliver them? Can vaccines become affordable for countries with low incomes? And what is really needed to achieve the goal of providing developing countries with new vaccines of epidemiologic significance in a timely fashion?
authors.affiliation: Division of Vaccines and Immunization, Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC 20037, USA. difabioj@paho.org
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Di Fabio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Quadros
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics*; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000191:economics; D017149:Private Sector; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution
chemical_list: D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D017778:Vaccines, Combined