background: filamentous hemagglutinin (fha) is one of the most important immunoprotective antigens of bordetella pertussis (b.pertussis) and a major component of the acellular pertussis vaccine. in the present study, three overlapping recombinant fragments from the immunodominant region of fha were produced and their immunogenicity was investigated. methods: three overlapping coding sequences o...

BACKGROUND Adverse cardiorespiratory events including apnea, bradycardia, and desaturations have been described following administration of the first diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-inactivated polio-Haemophilus influenzae type B (DTP-IPV-Hib) immunization to preterm infants. The effect of the recent substitution of acellular pertussis vaccine for whole cell pertussis vaccine on the frequency of t...

OBJECTIVE Data on the effectiveness of the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine in the first 4 years of life are sparse. We evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 1 and 2 doses of DTaP before 6 months of age and of 3 doses from 6 months of age in Australia, where, since 2003, a fourth dose is not given until 4 years. METHODS We matched reported pertussis cases aged 2 to ...

Pertussis was a major childhood disease in parts of West Germany in 1990. Before a prospective household contact trial into the efficacy of an acellular pertussis vaccine was undertaken, the epidemiology of the disease was studied in one area. This study showed that pertussis had an annual incidence of 4%-6% in the first 6 years of life. During the trial, a total of 1223 pertussis cases were di...

INTRODUCTION Adjuvants (for example, aluminum salts) are frequently incorporated in licensed vaccines to enhance the host immune response. Such vaccines include the pneumococcal conjugate, combinations of diphtheria-tetanus/acellular pertussis, tetanus- diphtheria/acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, some Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis A, and human papillomavirus. These preparations have...

The results of phase 3 efficacy trials have shown that acellular and whole-cell pertussis vaccines can confer protection against whooping cough. However, despite the advances in vaccine development, clinical trials have not provided significant new information on the mechanism of protective immunity against Bordetella pertussis. Classical approaches based on measurement of antibody responses to...

The purpose of this statement is to provide the rationale and recommendations for adolescent use of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. Despite universal immunization of children with multiple doses of pediatric diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, pertussis remains endemic with a steady increase in the number of ...

BACKGROUND Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is one of the key molecules in innate immunity and its role in human vaccine responses is poorly known. This study aimed to investigate the possible association of MBL polymorphisms with antibody production after primary and booster vaccinations with acellular pertussis vaccines in infants and adolescents. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Five hundred and...

Vaccines can cause fever, and fever in young children can lead to febrile seizures; these facts are not new. Febrile seizures are the most common seizure disorder of childhood and occur in ∼5% of all children, usually those younger than 24 months. We know that vaccines, often administered to children in this age group, can trigger febrile seizures. The article by Duffy et al1 in this edition of...