Published in:
Open Access
01-09-2010 | Original Paper
Evidence of Bordetella pertussis infection in vaccinated 1-year-old Danish children
Authors:
Marie-Louise von Linstow, Peter Lotko Pontoppidan, Carl-Heinz Wirsing von König, James D. Cherry, Birthe Hogh
Published in:
European Journal of Pediatrics
|
Issue 9/2010
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Abstract
We measured IgA and IgG antibodies to pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) in sera from 203 1-year-old children who had received one to three doses of a monocomponent PT toxoid vaccine. Ten children (5%) had IgA antibody to PT indicating recent infection; seven of these children had received three doses of vaccine. PT IgA responders did not have significantly longer coughing episodes than PT IgA non-responders. Since an IgA antibody response occurs in only ∼50% of infected children, the actual infection rate in our cohort is estimated to ∼10%. The apparent high Bordetella pertussis infection rate in Danish infants suggests that the monocomponent PT toxoid vaccine used in Denmark has limited efficacy against B. pertussis infection. A prospective immunization study comparing a multi-component vaccine with the present monocomponent PT toxoid vaccine should be undertaken.