Question

Triple antigen DPT is a
A. Vaccine against malaria, typhoid and cancer
B. Vaccine of mixture of viruses that cause tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough
C. Vaccine against polio, rabies and hepatitis
D. Vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus

Answer 1

Hint: The DTP vaccine is a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans.

Complete Answer:
- The full form of DTP vaccine is Diphtheria Toxoid vaccines. The initial use of diphtheria toxoid, was associated with significant local and systemic reaction.
- But purifying the toxoid and absorbing it on aluminum hydroxide enabled the reduction of the required toxoid dose. These vaccines contain diphtheria, tetanus and whole-cell pertussis (DTwP) antigens.
- Pertussis is a respiratory human disease. It is one of the most common vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. Infants under 6 month of age, who are unimmunized or incompletely immunized continue to suffer the greatest disease burden and mortality.
- The agent is bordetella pertussis. It is a gram negative bacterium. Pertussis causes nearly 300000 deaths of children every year.
- Pertussis is very infectious with high secondary attacks rates in households. Pertussis include vomiting, seizures, failure to thrive, rectal prolapse.
- The DPwT is also known as triple antigen. The content of diphtheria toxoid varies from 20 to 30 Lf and that of tetanus toxoid varies from 5 to 10 Lf per dose.
- Hence, the triple antigen DPT or DPwt vaccine protects against 3 diseases, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

Therefore, from the above explanation, we can calculate that the correct option is, (D) Vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus.

Note: The common side effects of this medicine include weakness, injection site redness, pain, swelling and headache.