[The immunogenicity of vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio administered orally on the vaccinal calendar at the age of 2, 4 and 6 months and their coadministration with a hepatitis B vaccine at 0, 2 and 6 months].

The immunogenicity of oral diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, (DPT) and polio vaccines was examined. Six hundred seventy-seven children (Group I) were given hepatitis B vaccine at 0, 2, and 6 months of age and the oral DPT-polio vaccines were administered at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. A control group of 731 children (Group II) received only oral DPT-polio vaccines. In both groups the vaccine efficacy against poliomyelitis was 96% for serotype I and 100% for serotype II. For serotype III, the vaccine efficacy was 98% and 97% for groups I and II, respectively. In both groups 97% of the children had antibodies against B. pertussis and all children were positive for tetanus and diphtheria. No immune interference between the oral DPT and polio vaccines and the hepatitis B vaccine when they were given simultaneously could be demonstrated as the immune response to the DPT and polio vaccines were identical in both groups. It can be concluded that the simultaneous administration of the hepatitis B vaccine with the DPT and polio vaccines did not interfere with the immune response to the other antigens.