Hexavalent Vaccinations: The Future of Routine Immunization?

As the world takes rapid strides in the eradication of polio, the trivalent inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) would be the only polio vaccine available in the near future. Since the maintenance of herd immunity is important for sustaining polio eradication, this vaccine would need to be used in the early childhood immunization schedule for many years to come [1]. WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) group’s recommendation, that at least one dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) along with oral polio vaccine (OPV) be administered to infants in countries currently using OPV, has been incorporated in the current national immunization schedule of India [2].