Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. All ages are susceptible. In the prevaccine era, almost all children became infected. Pertussis is particularly dangerous in young infants, who account for practically all hospitalizations and deaths, but clinical disease is burdensome at any age. Widespread use of pertussis vaccines dramatically reduced cases, but concern over adverse reactions led to the replacement of standard whole-cell by acellular pertussis vaccines that contain only a few selected pertussis antigens and are far less reactogenic. Routine administration of acellular pertussis vaccines combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids is recommended in infancy with toddler and preschool boosters, at age 11, and during pregnancy. Boosting in the second half of every pregancy is critical to protection of the newborn. Waning of vaccine immunity over time has become an increasing concern, and several new pertussis vaccines are being evaluated to address this problem.