Boostrix: a reduced-dose acellular pertussis vaccine for use in adolescents and adults.
Pertussis remains a serious problem in many countries. Even in countries with high vaccine coverage and a long vaccination history, pertussis outbreaks occur periodically. Rather than being a disease of young children, pertussis has shifted to affect adolescents and adults. Increased pertussis burden in adolescents and adults is the major source of severe infection for young infants. An effective vaccine is needed to control the spread of pertussis beyond preschool children. Boostrix is a reduced-dose acellular pertussis vaccine with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, and is designed for use in adolescents and adults. Current evidence suggests that Boostrix is immunogenic and well tolerated. The pertussis component of Boostrix has been shown to be efficacious in a large-scale Phase III trial. More than 50 countries have given permit to the use of Boostrix, and many of them formally recommend the use of Boostrix in adolescents and adults. Designed as a vaccine for adolescence and adults, Boostrix has a long way to go to achieve large-scale use in those target groups. Nevertheless, we expect that the advent of Boostrix will lead to a much better control of pertussis in the general population.
Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Children's Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan and Graduate School of Clinical Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan. maggieli@adm.cgmh.org.tw
Wen-Chen
WC
Li
Tsung-Zu
TZ
Wu
Yhu-Chering
YC
Huang
Li-Min
LM
Huang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology; D016527:Drug Costs; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D055815:Young Adult
C505143:Boostrix; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular