[1][9] The term usually refers to the children's vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, haemophilus B, and hepatitis B,[1][9] which is used in more than 90 countries around the world including in Europe, Canada, Australia, Jordan, and New Zealand.

It consists of a suspension of diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, and inactivated poliomyelitis (DTaP-IPV-HepB or DTPa-HBV-IPV) vaccine that is used to reconstitute a lyophilised (freeze-dried) Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) powder.

[8] Marketing approval for Hexavac was suspended in November 2005, on the advice of the agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in view of the variability of its long-term protection against hepatitis B.

[6][17] In December 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed a hexavalent combined diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) adsorbed, inactivated poliovirus (IPV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate (meningococcal protein conjugate) and hepatitis B (HepB) (recombinant) vaccine, DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB (Vaxelis), for use as a three-dose series in infants at ages two, four, and six months.

[18][19] In June 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to include DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB in the federal Vaccines for Children Program (VFC).