TETRAVAC SUSPENSION FOR INJECTION

Package leaflet: Information for the user

Tetravac, suspension for injection
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (acellular, component) and poliomyelitis (inactivated) vaccine,
adsorbed.

Read all of this leaflet carefully before your child is vaccinated because it contains important
information.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
This medicine has been prescribed only for your child. Do not pass it on to others.
If your child gets any side effects, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. This includes any
possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet
1.
What Tetravac is and what it is used for
2.
What you need to know before Tetravac is given to your child
3.
How to use Tetravac
4.
Possible side effects
5.
How to store Tetravac
6.
Contents of the pack and other information

1.

What Tetravac is and what it is used for

Tetravac is a vaccine. Vaccines are used to protect against infectious diseases.
This vaccine helps to protect your child against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and
poliomyelitis (polio).
It is given as a primary series vaccination in babies and as a booster vaccination in children who
received this vaccine or a similar vaccine when they were younger.
When an injection of Tetravac is given, the body’s natural defences will produce protection against
these different diseases.
•
•
•

•

Diphtheria is an infectious disease that usually first affects the throat. In the throat, the infection
causes pain and swelling which can lead to suffocation. The bacteria that cause the disease also
produce a toxin (poison) that can damage the heart, kidneys and nerves.
Tetanus (often called lock jaw) is caused by the tetanus bacteria entering a deep wound. The
bacteria produce a toxin (poison) that causes spasms of the muscles, leading to an inability to
breathe and the possibility of suffocation.
Pertussis (often called whooping cough) is an infection of the airways, that can occur at any age
but mostly affects infants and young children. Increasingly severe coughing spells that can last
for several weeks are a characteristic of the disease. Coughing spells may be followed by a
whooping noise.
Poliomyelitis (often just called polio) is caused by viruses that affect the nerves. It can lead to
paralysis, or muscle weakness most commonly of the legs. Paralysis of the muscle that controls
breathing and swallowing can be fatal.

Important
Tetravac will only help to prevent these diseases if they are caused by the same bacteria or viruses as
those used for producing the vaccine. Your child could still get infectious diseases if they are caused
by other bacteria or viruses.

2.

What you need to know before Tetravac is given to your child

It is important to tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if any of the points below apply to your child so
that they can make sure that Tetravac is suitable for your child.
Do not use Tetravac if your child:
•
is allergic to:
•
the active substances of Tetravac or any of the other ingredients of Tetravac
(see section 6)
•
other vaccines containing any of the substances shown in section 6
•
any vaccine which protects against whooping cough
•
has a high temperature or an acute illness (e.g. temperature, sore throat, cough, cold or flu).
Vaccination with Tetravac may need to be delayed until your child is better;
•
has any active disease of the brain (evolving encephalopathy);
•
has had a severe reaction to any vaccine which protects against whooping cough that affected
the brain.
Warnings and precautions
Tell your doctor or nurse before vaccination if:
•
your child is allergic (hypersensitive) to glutaraldehyde, neomycin, streptomycin and polymyxin
B. This is because these substances are used during the production of Tetravac and there may be
undetectable traces of these substances still in the vaccine;
•
your child has problems with his or her immune system or is receiving immunosuppressive
treatment. It is recommended to postpone vaccination until the end of such disease or treatment.
Giving Tetravac to children who have chronic problems with their immune system (including
HIV infection) is recommended but protection against infections after having the vaccine may
not be as good as in children with good immunity to infections;
•
your child had a temporary loss of movement and feeling (Guillain-Barré syndrome) or loss of
movement, pain and numbness of the arm and the shoulder (brachial neuritis) following a
previous injection with a tetanus containing vaccine. Your doctor or nurse will decide whether
to give Tetravac to your child;
•
your child has thrombocytopenia (low levels of platelets) or a bleeding disorder (such as
haemophilia) because he or she may bleed at the injection site.
•
your child has had a vaccine that protects against whooping cough in the past and any of the
following occurred soon afterwards:
•
temperature of 40°C or more within 48 hours, which was not due to another identifiable
cause;
•
episodes when your child goes into a shock-like state or is pale, floppy and unresponsive
for a period of time or fainting (hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes or collapse) within
48 hours of the vaccination;
•
cried persistently and inconsolably for more than 3 hours within 48 hours of the
vaccination;
•
fit (convulsions), with or without fever within 3 days of the vaccination.
Other medicines and Tetravac
Tetravac can be given at the same time as the Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Act-Hib).
Tetravac can be given at the same time as a measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Your doctor or nurse will
give the two injections at different injection sites and will use separate syringes for each injection.
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if your child is taking, has recently taken or might be taking any
other medicines.
If there is anything you do not understand, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse to explain.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Not applicable. This vaccine is intended for use in children only.
Tetravac contains phenylalanine
Tetravac contains phenylalanine which may be harmful to people with phenylketonuria (PKU).

Tetravac contains ethanol
Tetravac contains small amounts of ethanol (alcohol), less than 100 mg per dose.

3.

How to use Tetravac

Dosage
For the vaccine to be effective
• your child will need to receive a number of doses of the vaccine at different times before he/she
is 2 years old. The two different schedules for when these doses can be given are shown in the
table below. Your doctor will decide which schedule your child will receive.
Age at second
Age at first dose
Age at third dose
Booster
dose
Schedule 1
2 or 3 months
3 to 5 months
4 to 7 months
12 to 24 months
(Booster needed)
Schedule 2
(No Booster
3 months
5 months
12 months
No booster
needed)
Schedule 1 injections are given with an interval of 1-2 months between each of the first 3 doses.
• your child may also receive Tetravac if he/she is between 5-12 years old and has already been
vaccinated with any vaccine protecting against whooping cough.
Usually a high dose diphtheria vaccine, such as Tetravac, is used to immunise children less than 12
years of age. In some countries however, children under 12 years of age may receive a low dose
diphtheria vaccine.
If your child misses one dose of Tetravac
If your child misses a scheduled injection, your doctor will decide when to give the missed dose.
Method of administration
The vaccination should be given by medical or healthcare professionals who are trained in the use of
vaccines and who are equipped to deal with any uncommon severe allergic reaction to the injection.
Tetravac is given as an injection in to a muscle in your child’s thigh or upper arm. Your doctor or
nurse will avoid giving this injection into a blood vessel.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

4.

Possible side effects

Like all vaccines and medicines, Tetravac can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Serious allergic reactions are always a rare possibility after receiving a vaccine.
These reactions may include difficulty in breathing, blue discolouration of the tongue or lips, low
blood pressure (causing dizziness) and fainting (collapse).
Sudden signs of allergy such as swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body (oedema,
Quincke’s oedema) have been reported after administration of Tetravac (their exact frequency cannot
be estimated from the available data).
When these signs or symptoms occur they usually develop very quickly after the injection is given and
while the person affected is still in the clinic or doctor’s surgery.
If any of these symptoms occur after leaving the place where your child received the injection,
you must consult a doctor IMMEDIATELY.
Very common reactions (may affect more than 1 in 10 children) are:
•
Loss of appetite

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Nervousness or irritability
Abnormal crying
Drowsiness
Headache
Vomiting (being sick)
Myalgia (muscle pain)
Redness at the site of the injection
Injection site pain
Injection site swelling
Fever of 38°C or more
Malaise

After the primary series, the frequencies of injection site reactions tend to increase with the booster
dose.
Common reactions (may affect up to 1 in 10 children) are:
•
Diarrhoea
•
Hardness (induration) at the site of injection
•
Disturbed sleep
Uncommon reactions (may affect up to 1 in 100 children) are:
•
Redness and swelling of 5 cm or more at the site of the injection
•
Fever of 39°C or more
•
Prolonged inconsolable crying (inconsolable crying lasting more than 3 hours)
Rare reactions (may affect up to1 in 1000 children) are:
•
High fever over 40°C
Reactions with unknown frequency (Frequency cannot be estimated from the available data) are:
•
Fits (convulsions), with or without fever
•
Fainting
•
Rash, redness and itchiness of the skin (erythema, urticaria)
•
Large reactions at the injection site (larger than 5 cm), including extensive limb swelling from
the injection site beyond one or both joints. These reactions start within 24-72 hours after
vaccination, may be associated with redness, warmth, tenderness or pain at the injection site,
and get better within 3-5 days without the need for treatment.
•
Swelling of the glands in the neck, armpit or groin (lymphadenopathy)
Other reactions seen with vaccines containing the same active substances as this vaccine include:
•
Temporary loss of movement or feeling (Guillain-Barré syndrome) and loss of movement, pain
and numbness (brachial neuritis) of the arm and the shoulder.
•
Episodes when your child goes into a shock-like state or is pale, floppy and unresponsive for a
period of time (hypotonic hyporesponsive episodes).
Other reaction which can occur when Tetravac is administered at same time as a separate
Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine:
•
Swelling of one or both lower limbs. This may occur along with bluish discoloration of the skin
(cyanosis), redness, small areas of bleeding under the skin (transient purpura) and severe crying.
If this reaction occurs, it does so mainly after first (primary) injections and is seen within the
first few hours following vaccination. All symptoms will disappear completely within 24 hours
without the need for treatment.
In babies born very prematurely (at or before 28 weeks of gestation) longer gaps than normal between
breaths may occur for 2-3 days after vaccination.
Reporting of side effects in Ireland

If your child gets any side effects, talk to your child's doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any
possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
Reports may be made by following the links to the online reporting option accessible from the IMB
homepage, or by completing the downloadable report form also accessible from the IMB website,
which may be completed manually and submitted to the IMB via freepost, to the following address:
FREEPOST
Pharmacovigilance Section
Irish Medicines Board
Kevin O’Malley House
Earlsfort Centre
Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 6764971
Fax: +353 1 6762517
Website: www.imb.ie
e-mail: imbpharmacovigilance@imb.ie
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Reporting of side effects in the UK
If your child gets any side effects, talk to your child's doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any
possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at:
www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5.

How to store Tetravac

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use Tetravac after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and labels after EXP. The
expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Store in a refrigerator (2C - 8C). Do not freeze. If frozen discard the vaccine.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to
throw away medicines no longer used. These measures will help protect the environment.

6.

Contents of the pack and other information

What Tetravac contains
Each 0.5 ml dose of reconstituted vaccine contains the following:
The active substances are:
Purified diphtheria toxoid
Purified tetanus toxoid
Purified pertussis toxoid (PTxd)
Purified filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA)
Inactivated type 1 poliovirus
Inactivated type 2 poliovirus
Inactivated type 3 poliovirus
*I.U.: International Unit

not less than 30 I.U.*
not less than 40 I.U.*
25 micrograms
25 micrograms
D antigen**: 40 units
D antigen**: 8 units
D antigen**: 32 units

**Quantity of antigen in the vaccine
The adjuvant is:
Aluminium hydroxide (expressed as Al3+)

0.30 milligram

The other ingredients are formaldehyde, phenoxyethanol, ethanol, Medium 199 in water for injection.
Medium 199 is a complex mixture of amino acids (including phenylalanine), mineral salts, vitamins
and other components (such as glucose) diluted in water for injection.

What Tetravac looks like and contents of the pack
Tetravac, suspension for injection, is available as a single dose (0.5 ml) prefilled syringe.
Pack sizes of 1 or 10 without needle, with attached needle, with 1 separate needle or with 2 separate
needles.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Sanofi Pasteur Europe
14 Espace Henry Vallée
69007 Lyon
France
Manufacturer
The manufacturer responsible for batch release is Sanofi Pasteur at the following address.
Sanofi Pasteur, 14 Espace Henry Vallée, 69007 Lyon, France

This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following
names:
Tetravac
TetravacAcellulaire

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg,
Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway
France

This leaflet was last revised in 10/2017

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The following information is intended for medical or healthcare professionals only:
Instructions for use - Tetravac, suspension for injection
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (acellular, component) and poliomyelitis (inactivated) vaccine, adsorbed.
Shake the pre-filled syringe so that the contents become homogeneous. Tetravac should not be mixed
with other medicinal products.
For needle free syringes, the needle should be pushed firmly on to the end of the pre-filled syringe and
rotated through 90 degrees.
Tetravac must be administered intramuscularly. The recommended injection sites are the antero-lateral
aspect of the upper thigh in infants and the deltoid muscle in older children.

The intradermal or intravenous routes must not be used. Do not administer by intravascular injection:
ensure that the needle does not penetrate a blood vessel.