A NORTH-west health expert has welcomed a new single vaccine to protect children against five different diseases.

The five-in-one injection was launched by the Department of Health this week to protect children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hib and polio.

And Professor Qutub Syed, Director of the Health Protection Agency North, has welcomed the announcement.

He said: "This is a natural development of an immunisation programme that is already safe, proven and effective and it should give parents everywhere confidence to know that the vaccines we give to their children are continually being refined and improved."

Children are currently given a single vaccine by injection to protect them against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and Hib - an infection which can lead to meningitis. At the same time, they are given a live polio vaccine orally.

In future, protection against polio will be given in the same single vaccine, using a dead polio virus.

"This is a huge step forward that has been made possible by the success of immunisation programmes to rid the world of polio. It should be welcomed by parents everywhere. There is no better gift that they can give their children than protection for life against a range of terrible diseases," Professor Syed said.

The new vaccine has two further benefits. The whooping cough element has been refined and simplified to reduce the likelihood of it causing minor reactions in some children and the vaccine no longer needs mercury-based thiomersal to stabilise it.

The vaccine has been used successfully in Canada for a number of years.