At an 8-week check-up with no prior immunizations, which vaccines are typically indicated?

At an 8-week check-up with no prior immunizations, which vaccines are typically indicated?

• A. Comvax, Prevnar, IPV, DTaP
• B. Prevnar, IPV, DTaP, MMR
• C. DTaP, Hib, HepB, Varicella
• D. Comvax, MMR, Varicella, HepA

Answer: (D)

At 8 weeks, the focus is on starting the routine infant vaccines that are scheduled to begin at about 2 months of age. These vaccines are chosen to protect against diseases early in life and are spaced to build immunity without overloading the growing infant. The vaccines commonly given starting at this age include a combination shot that covers Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, a polio vaccine, and a diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus portion. Using a combination shot for HepB-Hib helps reduce the number of separate injections. So a typical first visit at 8 weeks would include this HepB-Hib combination along with Prevnar (the pneumococcal vaccine) and DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) and IPV (polio). Vaccine options that include measles-containing vaccines (MMR) or varicella or Hepatitis A are not given at this early visit; MMR and Varicella are generally scheduled around 12 to 15 months, and HepA is usually started after 12 months. Those vaccines are not indicated at an 8-week check-up. So the most appropriate set to start at this age is the combination HepB-Hib, plus Prevnar, DTaP, and IPV, with Rotavirus also commonly given at this visit if available.

At 8 weeks, the focus is on starting the routine infant vaccines that are scheduled to begin at about 2 months of age. These vaccines are chosen to protect against diseases early in life and are spaced to build immunity without overloading the growing infant.

The vaccines commonly given starting at this age include a combination shot that covers Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, a polio vaccine, and a diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus portion. Using a combination shot for HepB-Hib helps reduce the number of separate injections. So a typical first visit at 8 weeks would include this HepB-Hib combination along with Prevnar (the pneumococcal vaccine) and DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) and IPV (polio).

Vaccine options that include measles-containing vaccines (MMR) or varicella or Hepatitis A are not given at this early visit; MMR and Varicella are generally scheduled around 12 to 15 months, and HepA is usually started after 12 months. Those vaccines are not indicated at an 8-week check-up.

So the most appropriate set to start at this age is the combination HepB-Hib, plus Prevnar, DTaP, and IPV, with Rotavirus also commonly given at this visit if available.