3a.8 How long does the pertussis vaccine last?
Description
This article is from the Childhood Vaccinations FAQ, by Lynn Gazis-Sax lynng@alsirat.com with numerous contributions by others.
3a.8 How long does the pertussis vaccine last?
It doesn't. According to _Harrison's Internal Medicine_, "the
protection ... is transient, with minimal resistance being evident a
decade later." However, the critical years for pertussis immunity are
when a child is young; the disease is not dangerous for adults. With
introduction of the new, less reactogenic acellular vaccine, it is
possible that boosters may eventually be given to adults. (This
estimate is for the older, whole cell vaccine, but the newer acellular
vaccine is apparently at least as durable as the whole cell one was.)
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