Fewer Shots in Store for Baby

Childhood immunization is a victim of its own success. Thirty years ago, most children got five shots in the first two years of life; today the number is 20, with as many as five in a single visit. Ouch! The first ever five-in-one combination vaccine will take a bit of the sting out of this rite of passage. Infants can now be protected against hepatitis B and polio, along with diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough), with a single injection given at 2, 4 and 6 months, eliminating half a dozen shots in the process.

That's welcome news for crying...

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