• Diphtheria is a bacterial infection of the nose and throat that can lead to problems breathing.
• Diphtheria can cause heart failure and paralysis.
• One of every 10 people who get diphtheria dies from the disease.
  

• Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract. It usually leads to severe coughing spells and problems with breathing that can last for weeks or months.
• Pertussis can cause pneumonia and sometimes inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).
• Infants are likely to be most severely affected by the disease.
• One of every 100 people who gets pertussis dies from the disease.

(See more information below.)

• Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is a bacterial infection of wounds. When bacteria enter a wound, they make poisons or toxins that cause the body's muscles to go into spasm.
• The bacteria are commonly found in soil.
• Five of every 10 people who get tetanus die from the disease.
  

• Poliomyelitis, also called polio, is a viral infection of the central nervous system.
• In its most severe form it can result in permanent crippling or paralysis.
• Of those exposed to the polio virus, one in 10 will develop paralytic polio.
• One of every 10 people who get paralytic polio dies from the disease.
  

• Haemophilus influenza B disease is a bacterial infection that can affect several different body tissues and organs.
• The most common and serious effect of the disease is an infection of the covering of the brain (meningitis). In addition, it can cause severe throat and lung infections.
• One in every 20 children who gets haemophilus influenza B infection will die from the disease and 20-50 per cent will suffer deafness and/or permanent brain damage.
• Haemophilus influenza B should not be confused with influenza and flu.
  

• Children should receive a single infection with the five vaccine components at two, four, six, and 18 months of age.
• A booster dose injection with four components - Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus and Polio - should be given to children after their fourth birthday before starting school.
  

• The diphtheria and tetanus vaccine components are 95 per cent effective in providing protection to those who have completed the series of immunizations.
• The pertussis vaccine components is 50 to 80 per cent effective in preventing infection for those who have completed the series of immunizations and it reduces the severity of the disease in those children who do become infected.
• The polio vaccine component is 99 per cent effective in preventing infection for those who have completed the series of immunizations.
• The haemophilus influenza B vaccine component is 90 per cent 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.
  

• Children who are sick with more than a cold or who have a fever.
• Children who have allergies to any of the antibiotics Polymixin B, Streptomycin or Neomycin.
• The vaccine may be delayed or withheld if a child has had a serious reaction to the vaccine or has an unstable disease of the central nervous system (e.g. uncontrolled convulsions).
  

• There may be soreness, swelling, redness and occasionally a small temporary lump at the site where the injection was given.
• There may be fever and/or irritability for up to 48 hours after the injection.
• In more rare cases, children may have side effects such as high fever, convulsions, abnormal crying for several hours or an allergic reaction.
• In the past, concerns were raised about possible brain injury from immunization; however, studies show that immunization does not appear to increase the risk. What is known is that the risk of serious side effects from infection with the disease far exceeds the risk of side effects from the immunization.
  

• Talk to your public health nurse if you have any questions or concerns about how your child is reacting to the immunization.
• Take your child to a doctor, hospital or health centre if your child becomes seriously ill within two weeks of receiving the immunization and you think it might be related to the immunization. Also, be sure to tell your public health nurse as soon as possible if you had to take your child to your doctor, hospital or health centre with an illness or reaction that might be related to the immunization.
  

• Speak with a public health nurse if you need more information about the diseases or details on the components of the vaccine.