Vaccinations

• Menactra®
• Vaccine is available against serogroups A, C, W 135 and Y (quadrivalent).
• A single dose provides 5 year protection and a booster dose is recommended every 5 years thereafter.
• Travellers to areas affected by meningococcal outbreaks should be vaccinated, as well as travellers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah.
• Also highly recommended for university students and hostel residents.

Read more about Meningococcal Meningitis

• Adacel Quadra®
• Four in one vaccine providing protection against polio, tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria.
• Recommended booster as an adult and every 10 years thereafter.

Read more about Polio
Read more about Tetanus
Read more about Pertussis
Read more about Diphtheria

• Boostrix®
• Three in one vaccine providing protection against tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria.
• Highly recommended for all pregnant women in the 3rd trimester, regardless of prior vaccination.

Read more about Tetanus
Read more about Pertussis
Read more about Diphtheria

• Tetavax®
• Available as a single preparation or as part of the 4 in 1 Adacel Quadra®
• One dose provides protection for 10 years, however in the event of exposure to tetanus occurring 5 or more years after the initial dose, a booster is recommended.

Read more about Tetanus

• Typhim®
• Single dose vaccination provides cover for a period of 3 to 5 years.
• 2 doses as an adult should be sufficient for lifelong immunity. 

Read more about Typhoid

• Twinrix®
• 2 in one combination vaccine against Hepatitis A and B.
• 3 dose regimen, completed within one year, provides lifelong immunity.

Read more about Hepatitis A
Read more about Hepatitis B

• Avaxim® and Avaxim® Junior / Havirx® and Havirix® Junior
• Generally, one vaccine provides protection within 2 to 4 weeks which lasts for approximately 6 months to 1 year. A second dose (booster) will maintain the immunity for at least a further 10 years.
• Intermittent lack of availability of the adult vaccine, due to manufacturer constraints, the paediatric vaccine can be used (two paediatric doses = one adult dose).

Read more about Hepatitis A

• Engerix B® / Euvax B®
• An initial vaccine with two booster doses, administered over a six month period, is required for lifelong immunity.

Read more about Hepatitis B

• Verorab®
• Pre-exposure vaccination, which consists of two doses, given 7 days apart, will protect an individual with immunity against rabies.
• When a vaccinated person comes into contact with a potentially rabid animal, this will allow for enough time to seek medical attention and obtain post exposure prophylaxis vaccines, without the need for rabies immunoglobin, which is not always readily available.
• The same vaccine is used as post exposure prophylaxis, if one is exposed to a potentially rabid animal, regardless of vaccination status.

Read more about Rabies

• Rabigam®
• This vaccine is indicated for an individual who comes into contact with a potentially rabid animal, with a category 2 or 3 exposure, who has not received rabies vaccinations previously (2 x doses of Verorab®).
• Rabies immunoglobulin is derived from immunised human donors and is in very short supply.

Read more about Rabies

• Priorix® / Omzyta®
• This vaccine is part of the childhood vaccine programme (EPI) in South Africa and provides immunity against measles, mumps and rubella.
• A booster is indicated at age 12, and for university students and hostel residents, as well as women who are planning to fall pregnant.

• Prevenar® (PCV13)
• Indicated for individuals with splenic dysfunction, sickle cell disease, immune compromise, chronic lung, heart or liver disease and alcoholism and all smokers.
• Also highly recommended for all individuals over the age of 65.
• Pneumovax® (PCV23)
• Recommended as a booster, one year after receiving Prevenar®; should give lifelong immunity, but a booster can be administered for high-risk individuals after 5 years.

• Influvac®  / Vaxigrip Tetra®
• This seasonal vaccine becomes available in the Southern hemisphere towards the end of March each year. 
• The vaccine is based on the strains circulating in the population at the time and what is predicted to affect each hemisphere in the forthcoming winter, as per the annual WHO guidelines. 
• Recommended to all individuals over 6 months of age, on a yearly basis.

• Varilrix® / Onvara®
• Recommended for children and university students, hostel residents or anyone staying in shared accommodation, who have not had chickenpox disease before.

• Zostavax® (live vaccine) – no longer available in South Africa
• Shingrix® (killed vaccine) – Section 21/off label use in South Africa
• • Recombinant shingles vaccine is recommended for adults 50 years and older, and adults with immune compromise.
  • The Shingrix® vaccine is a 2-dose regimen.
  • The advantage of the recombinant vaccine is that it is not a live vaccine and can therefore be given to organ transplant recipients and severely immune compromised patients, who cannot receive a live vaccine.

• Gardasil 9®
• This vaccine indicated for females and males over the age of 9 years.
• Protects against nine types of HPV that cause cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, oropharyngeal and other head and neck cancers, precancerous lesions, and genital warts. 
• Gardasil 4® is available, but is only registered for use in females between the ages of 9 and 45 years.