• Diphtheria is a bacterial infection of the nose and throat that can lead to breathing problems.
• Diphtheria can cause heart failure, paralysis and even death.

• Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract. It usually leads to severe coughing spells and breathing problems that can last for weeks or months.
• Pertussis can cause pneumonia and sometimes inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), and even death.
• Infants are likely to be most severely affected by the disease.
  

• Tetanus, commonly known as lockjaw, is a disease caused by bacteria that live in soil and dirt. Infection occurs when the bacteria gets into cuts and wounds.
• Tetanus causes serious and painful spasms in your muscles. This can lead to an inability to open your mouth, swallow or breathe and can result in death.

• Poliomyelitis, also called polio, is a viral infection of the central nervous system.
• The most serious form of polio can cause paralysis of the muscles and affect breathing and swallowing.
  

• Haemophilus influenza b disease is a bacterial infection that affects several different body tissues and organs.
• It can lead to meningitis, an infection of the covering of the brain. It can also cause severe throat and lung infections.
• The most serious infections occur in children under five years of age.
• Haemophilus influenza b should not be confused with influenza and the flu.
  

• Get immunized.
• The diphtheria and tetanus vaccine components are 95% effective in providing protection to those who have completed a series of immunizations.
• It reduces the severity of the disease in children who do become infected.
• The pertussis vaccine component is 85% effective in preventing infection for those who have completed the series of immunizations. It reduces the severity of the disease in children who do become infected.
• The polio vaccine component is 99% effective in preventing infection for those who have completed a series of immunizations.
• The haemophilus influenza b vaccine component is 90% effective in preventing haemophilus influenza b disease in those who have completed the series of immunizations. It does NOT protect against meningitis caused by other bacteria and viruses.

• Pediacel ® vaccine contains pertussis vaccine, diphtheria, and tetanus toxoids adsorbed combined with inactivated polio vaccine and Haemophilus b Conjugate vaccine. Other ingredients include: aluminium phosphate, 2-phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 80; bovine serum; trace amounts of formaldehyde; trace amounts of the antibiotics neomycin, streptomycin and polymixin B.

• Children should receive a single injection with the five vaccine components at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age.
• A booster dose with four components (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio) should be given to children after their fourth birthday, before starting school.

• Children who have a serious illness, with or without fever, should delay immunization. A mild illness, with or without fever, is not a reason to avoid immunization.
• Children who have allergies to any of the vaccine components.
• Children who have had a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine in the past.

• Soreness, redness, swelling or bruising at the injection site.
• There may be fever and/or irritability for up to 48 hours after the injection.
• In rare cases, children may have side effects such as high fever, convulsions, abnormal crying for several hours or an allergic reaction.

• Report any adverse or unexpected reactions to your local public health nurse or your doctor as soon as possible.

Talk to your public health nurse if:

• you have questions or concerns about your child's reaction to immunization.
• you had to take your child to your doctor, hospital or health centre with an illness that might be related to immunization.

Your immunization information will be recorded in a computerized system known as the Saskatchewan Immunization Management System (SIMS). Information collected in SIMS may be used to:

• manage immunization records,
• notify you if you or your child needs an immunization,
• and monitor how well vaccines work in preventing vaccine preventable diseases.

Your immunization records may also be shared with health care professionals in order to provide public health services; assist with diagnosis and treatment; and to control the spread of vaccine preventable diseases.

For more information contact your local public health office or your physician or HealthLine at
1-877-800-0002.