each element(component) is intended to protect against a particular disease, so that the combination of elements is intended protect against more than one disease (hence a combination of components).
The 'combination vaccine' may need one or more injections, etc, but it should be less than if single vaccinations were given against each of the diseases.

As opposed to a 'component vaccine'

"the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) prefer the use of licensed combination vaccines versus separate injections of their equivalent component vaccines."



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Note added at 53 mins (2003-11-07 21:26:53 GMT)
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typo.line 2 \'\'...is intended to protect...\'

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Note added at 1 hr 3 mins (2003-11-07 21:37:04 GMT)
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the instruction is saying that

IF NONE of the \'elements\'(components)
(each against a particular disease) - which are combined to make the combination vaccine -

are contra-indicated

it is safe to use the vaccine whenever some (one or more) of the components (elements of the vaccine) are indicated (needed medically).

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Note added at 1 hr 6 mins (2003-11-07 21:40:03 GMT)
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The whole \"combination vaccine\" is the thing that is licensed.

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Note added at 1 hr 14 mins (2003-11-07 21:48:04 GMT)
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eg: in:

\"GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) announced today that its combination vaccine, PEDIARIX™ [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed, Hepatitis B (Recombinant) and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine Combined]...\"

\"Pediarix\" is the combination vaccine which is/needs to be licensed, and the elements confer immunity against their associated diseases.

The plural \'vaccines\' in the question refers to different sorts of combination vaccines (not individual component vaccines).

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Note added at 1 hr 29 mins (2003-11-07 22:03:23 GMT)
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Although each element of a combination vaccine does (scientifically speaking) vaccinate against its associated disease, (pharmaceutically) it is the combination vaccine as a whole which is the vaccine, not its elements(components).

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Note added at 74 days (2004-01-21 18:36:26 GMT) Post-grading
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Sorry - much too long. It boils down to: it\'s the one (combined)vaccine which is licenced rather than there being a licence to use a particular combination of (component) vaccines.

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Note added at 74 days (2004-01-21 18:37:22 GMT) Post-grading
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typo. \'it\'s this particular (combined) vaccine which is licenced...\'