Colombia Expands Childhood Immunization with Hexavalent Vaccine
BOGOTÁ – ColombiaS Ministry of Health has added the hexavalent acellular vaccine to the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI), a move aimed at bolstering protection for babies born with low weight-a population especially vulnerable to serious health complications. The vaccine, which combines protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type B, will be prioritized for at-risk infants.
The implementation of the hexavalent vaccine represents a modernization of Colombia’s national vaccination scheme, mandated by Law 2406 of 2024 and supported by viability studies outlined in Law 2329 of 2023. It does not replace the pentavalent vaccine, but offers a more efficient and less painful alternative for children requiring specialized care.
The vaccination schedule consists of three doses administered at 2, 4, and 6 months, with the option to begin as early as six weeks due to current whooping cough circulation. Eligible beneficiaries include children born on or after April 1, 2025, weighing less than 1,500 grams who have not received any pentavalent doses, those who started a pentavalent scheme but did not complete it, or those who experienced adverse effects following pentavalent vaccination. Infants born between january and March 2025 without a vaccination history will also be included.
According to Health Minister Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, the hexavalent vaccine offers benefits such as reduced multiple punctures, increased adherence to the vaccination schedule, and a lower incidence of adverse events like fever, febrile seizures, apnea, or hypotonia.
Colombia currently offers 23 vaccines protecting against over 30 diseases, maintaining one of the most comprehensive immunization schemes in Latin America. Accomplished implementation of the hexavalent vaccine will rely on collaboration between Entidades Promotoras de Salud (EPS), Instituciones Prestadoras de Servicios de Salud (IPS), kangaroo programs, and early childhood care facilities to identify, monitor, and vaccinate low-weight infants.
