Objective: To document the incidence of symptoms after accelerated immunisation with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine.
Design: Controlled study of children immunised with adsorbed diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine at accelerated and standard schedules.
Setting: Colchester and north Hertfordshire.
Subjects: 107 children scheduled to receive immunisation at 2, 3, and 4 months of age and 115 children scheduled to receive immunisation at 3, 4 1/2 to 5, and 8 1/2 to 11 months of age.
Main outcome measures: Parentally recorded symptoms, axillary temperatures, and size of local redness and swelling at the injection site during the seven days after immunisation.
Results: In general symptoms occurred less frequently with the accelerated schedule. Proportions of parents reporting axillary temperatures greater than 37.2 degrees C or local redness or swelling greater than 2.5 cm after the third dose of vaccine were significantly reduced in the accelerated schedule group.
Conclusion: Immunisation at 2, 3, and 4 months of age is likely to cause fewer reactions than immunisation at 3, 4 1/2 to 5, and 8 1/2 to 11 months of age.