Pertussis
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old. Pertussis spreads through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. Caused by the bacterium Bordetella Pertussis, it is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing A which often makes it hard to breathe. After the cough fits, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which results in a “whooping” sound.
Immunization is the best way to protect against pertussis.¹ Following the introduction of pertussis vaccination during the 1950s–1960s, a dramatic reduction (>90%) in pertussis incidence and mortality was observed in the industrialized world.2 Today, two forms of vaccines are used to fight the disease – the whole-cell vaccine, and the acellular vaccine. Whole-cell vaccines which were developed first, contain the entire organism that has been inactivated. Over time, acellular pertussis vaccines, which contain the purified component of the organism (that are specifically responsible for causing the disease), were developed.
Since acellular vaccines contain purified components of an organism, they result in lesser reaction (fever, rashes, etc.) post vaccination, while improving comfort for children. Acellular pertussis vaccines are typically made available as combination vaccines that can protect against as many as 6 diseases, namely: Polio, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hep B and HiB in one shot.
Immunization against pertussis in combination with other diseases is recommended as primary immunization in infancy followed by boosters in school entry, adolescents and adult individuals including pregnant women. Pertussis immunization for pregnant women is also available in India to protect mothers and children.