Coverage of the Combined DTaP-IPV/Hib Vaccine Among Children Aged 2-18 Months - 9 PLADs, China, 2019-2021.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC?: In China, there is limited data available on the use and coverage of the non-program, combined diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis adsorbed, inactivated poliovirus and haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-IPV/Hib) pentavalent vaccine, and its role as a substitute for the separately administered standalone program vaccines.

WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT?: We evaluated the use and coverage of the pentavalent vaccine in nine provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) spanning eastern, central, and western China from 2019 to 2021. Initial use and coverage were low, but demonstrated annual growth albeit with regional and urban-rural discrepancies. The pentavalent vaccine was increasingly substituted for standalone vaccines over the course of this period.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE?: Parents in China are increasingly opting to replace the standard program vaccines with voluntarily purchased combination vaccines, particularly the pentavalent vaccine. The development of combination vaccines should thus be promoted in China, as it could enhance utilization and coverage rates, and decrease the economic burden.