DTP and DTP-inactivated polio vaccines: comparison of adverse reactions and IGG, IGM and IGA antibody responses to DTP.

Adverse reactions and anti-DTP antibody responses were compared between DTP- or DTP-inactivated-polio-vaccinated children. The material consisted of 380 children whose adverse reactions were registered by detailed questionnaires given to the parents. IgG-, IgM- and IgA-anti-DTP antibodies of 42 children were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fever, restlessness and local reactions were the most frequent adverse reactions observed. DTP-polio vaccine induced significantly more restlessness than DTP. This was the only significant difference in adverse reactions between the vaccines. An enhancement of IgG-anti-DTP antibody responses at the age of 6 months was observed in the DTP-polio group. The enhancement was transient in antitoxin responses but still present in pertussis antibodies at 8 months of age. Very low and mostly undetectable levels of IgM- and IgA-anti-DTP antibodies were observed in both groups.