Vaccine Names

Unfortunately, there is no standardized set of terms for childhood vaccines used by all providers when recording immunizations on immunization records. As new vaccines and combination vaccines are used, the number of names found on records multiplies, especially when vaccine brand names are used. The following is a list of terms you may encounter on immunization records.

VACCINATION Preferred Term Alternative Terms
DTP (diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis) No longer distributed DTP Tri-Immunol DtwP
DTPw
DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) DTaP Tripedia DTPa
Acel-Imune
Infanrix
HIB (Haemophilus Influenzae type b) Hib ProHIBIT
HbCV
HibTITER
OmniHIB
H flu
ActHIB
HbOC
PRP-T
PedvaxHIB
PRP-OMP
PRP-D
Hib-hepatitis B Combination COMVAX COMVAX
DTP-Hib Combination DTaP-Hib TriHIBIT
ActHIB-Tripedia
Tripedia-ActHIB
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) MMR MMR
Polio OPV/IPV Orimune polio
IPOL polio
Sabin
Salk
Hepatitis B Hep B Engerix
HBV
Engerix-B
Recombivax
Recombivax HB
Hepatitis B-Hib Combination Hep B-Hib COMVAX
HBV/Hib
Hib/Hep
Varicella (chicken pox) VAR VZV
Varivax
Hepatitis A Hep A Havrix
VAQTA
HAV
Rotavirus (No longer in distribution) RV RRV-TV
Rotashield
Pentavalent Vaccine (Canada) Combination DTP/IPV/Hib  
Pentavalent or Quintuple Vaccine (Mexico) Combination DTP/Hib/Hep B  
Quadruple Vaccine (Mexico) Combination DTP/Hib  
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (for tuberculosis) BCG  
Hepatitis B Immune Globulin HBIG  
Influenza Flu Fluvin
Fluogen
Flushield
Fluzone
Measles vaccine only (M) commonly seen on Mexico imm. This is not MMR Attenuvax
measles
sarampion

Pneumococcal Polysacchride Vaccine 23 PPV23 Valent
Pneumovax
Pnu-Immune
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine 7 PCV7 Valent
Prevnar
Purified Protein Derivative (TB skin test) PPD  
Immune Globulin IG  
Gamma Globulin GG  


**Adapted from information from the California Department of Health and Maricopa County Department of Public Health