GlaxoSmithKline's Combination Vaccine Offers Fewer Shots for Babies.

Byline: Sarah Avery

Dec. 17--A combination vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration could eliminate up to six injections babies typically get in their first year of life, the manufacturer announced Monday.

The vaccine, called Pediarix, offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and polio. It is made by GlaxoSmithKline, which has one of its U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park, and will be on the market in early January.

When it will be available in North Carolina, however, is less certain.

North Carolina is one of 15 states that pays the costs of immunization drugs, and the system has been highly effective in ensuring that children get their vaccinations; two years ago, the state inoculated 88 percent of babies for five key diseases, the highest rate in the country. Under the state's system, about $13 million in state money and $34 million in federal money pays for vaccines, so the only cost to patients is the doctor's fee for administering the shots.

But the introduction of a new vaccine creates logistical issues. One is the timing of the hepatitis B shot. North Carolina requires the first immunization for newborns before they leave the hospital. With the GSK vaccine, the first hepatitis B inoculation would come at about 2 months.

Cost and other issues also are unresolved. Laura Leonard, spokeswoman for the state's immunization branch, said state officials rely upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance in such issues, but the CDC has yet to address the matter. The CDC buys vaccines from manufacturers and distributes them to states.