Elk Grove Village, IL—(ENEWSPF)—May 4, 2015. Are the increased number of adolescent pertussis cases since 1995 related to waning immunity? Authors of the study, “Tdap Vaccine Effectiveness in Adolescents During the 2012 Washington State Pertussis Epidemic,” appearing in the June 2015 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 4 ) tracked vaccine effectiveness in adolescents at 1, 2 and 4 years after receiving Tdap vaccine (which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, or whooping cough).
Researchers found that among teens who received all acellular pertussis vaccines for their childhood immunizations (as opposed to a mix of whole cell and acellular vaccines) immunity averaged 73 percent 1 year after receiving Tdap. At 2 to 4 years post-vaccination, immunity declined to 34 percent. The authors state that better understanding of the immune response to B pertussis – or possibly even development of a new vaccine – is needed to better prevent and control pertussis in the future. In spite of these findings, the study authors still stress the importance of receiving Tdap vaccine as it is the best way to help protect adolescents from pertussis by providing some immunity to this potentially deadly disease.
The study authors also stress that efforts to protect infants, who are at highest risk for critical disease and death from pertussis, should be prioritized. This can be accomplished by reinforcing the recent recommendation for Tdap use during each pregnancy, which allows pregnant women to passively pass protective antibodies to their baby before birth.
Note: The May issue of Pediatrics contains a commentary on this subject, “Epidemic Pertussis and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Failure in the 21st Century,” also publishing on May 4.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 62,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
Source: www.aap.org
