Recommendations are needed for adolescent and adult pertussis immunisation: rationale and strategies for consideration

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of two diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis vaccines in Iranian pre-school children, a randomized controlled trial

“…Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of two diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis vaccines in Iranian pre-school children, a randomized controlled trial Jalaledin Nasernia, 5 Banafsheh Tavangar 1 and Fazel shokri 1,6, current increase in pertussis incidence in adolescent and young adults, 4,5 who serve as an important reservoir of transmission of the pathogen.…”

Tendencia de la mortalidad y morbilidad por tos ferina en Colombia 2002-2012

“…Aunque en estos grupos poblacionales no se registraron muertes, son un reservorio importante de la infección con una gran capacidad para propagarla, lo cual pone en mayor riesgo a la población de menores de un año (21,22). La estrategia de vacunar a los adolescentes ha tomado fuerza en varios países como forma de protegerlos y disminuir las fuentes de infección en la comunidad, y en muchos de ellos se ha logrado una reducción en las tasas de tos ferina, a pesar de ser una iniciativa relativamente nueva (24,29,30). La sola inmunización de las madres, principales transmisoras de la tos ferina al lactante, no es suficiente para reducir la incidencia en los menores de seis meses (31).…”

Should acellular pertussis vaccine be recommended to healthcare professionals?

“…Although the risk of hospitalization and death due to pertussis is lower in adults, the disease causes substantial morbidity in these groups and is one of the most common causes of continuous cough 22,24,29,32,33,38,42 . Separate vaccination of adolescents and adults became possible after the development and approval of specific vaccines for each group.…”

“…However, HCP vaccination policies vary considerably between different countries 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 and have changed over the two last decades due to new information on the epidemiological profile of pertussis and licensing of new safe and effective vaccines for use in adolescents and adults, such as the triple acellular (Tdap) vaccine that, besides protecting against diphtheria and tetanus, also protects against pertussis, and the quadruple vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis combined with the inactivated polio vaccine (Tdap-IPV), already licensed in a number of countries 7,8,9,10,11,12,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,…”

“…The Bordetella pertussis and diphtheria toxoid antigen content of these vaccines is lower than whole cell vaccines and the acellular vaccines recommended for children and they are as safe as the double-adult vaccine (dT) 7,9,23,24,29,38,57,58,59,60,61,62 . It is currently recommended in several countries that adolescents and adults receive at least one booster of the dT vaccine in combination with the acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine 1,7,57,58,59,60,61,62 .…”