DPT vaccine

DPT is a vaccine designed to immunize against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.

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Diphtheria is a very serious bacterial disease that can make a person unable to breathe, cause paralysis, or even heart failure.

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Before the DPT shot was introduced, 17,000 children died in a single year in the United States in a diphtheria epidemic.

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Moderate reactions to the DPT vaccine occur in 0.1% to 1.0% of children and include ongoing crying (for three hours or more), a high fever (up to 105 degrees F), and an unusual, high-pitched crying.

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Severe problems from the DPT immunization happen very rarely. These include a serious allergic reaction, a prolonged seizure, a decrease in consciousness, lasting brain disease, or even death. These severe neurologic events occur after approximately 1 in 140,000 doses of the DPT vaccine (0.0007%)

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Most of the reactions to DPT injection are thought to be from the pertussis component.

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Vaccine: A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by any natural or 'wild' strain of the organism. The term derives from vaccinia, the infectious viral agent of cowpox, which, when administered to humans, p...

Diphtheria: Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore throat, low-grade fever, and an adherent membrane of the tonsil(s), pharynx, and/or nose. A milder form of diphtheria can be limited to the skin. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, an aerobic Gram-positive bacterium....

Pertussis: Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease that is one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths. There are 30–50 million cases per year, and about 300,000 deaths per year. Virtually all deaths occur in children under one year of age. Ninety percent of a...

DPT vaccine related Images and Photos (experimental)

Arm of William Pead Used For Smallpox Vaccine