Children fully vaccinated against pertussis are still at risk, which increases with time since immunization.
The original pertussis vaccine, derived from the cellular components of Bordetella pertussis in the 1940s, was highly effective but caused adverse side effects (fever, febrile seizures). In the 1990s, it was replaced with a less reactogenic acellular pertussis vaccine. Five doses of the vaccine by age 4 to 6 years and a booster between 11 and 12 years are currently recommended. Despite high rates of vaccination, we continue to see large pertussis outbreaks.
To determine risk for pertussis by vaccination status and time since vaccination, researchers followed 470,000 children born between 1999 and 2016 from age 3 months to 11 years. During the monitoring period, they identified 738 cases of pertussis, 603 in fully vaccinated children. Compare…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)