Mallet E, Puyt A, Arson S, Surbled V
Département de pédiatrie, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, Rouen, France.
Arch Pediatr. 2000 Apr;7(4):410-4. doi: 10.1016/S0929-693X(00)88839-9.
Severe reactions to whole cell pertussis vaccine are the main reason for the poor adhesion of parents and practitioners to pertussis vaccine booster injections in children, leading to a poor immunization in the population, particularly in young adults. The acellular pertussis vaccine appears to be better tolerated while keeping a good immunogenicity. In a randomized multicentric study on pertussis vaccine booster injection tolerance in 386 15-20 month-old children, we confirmed the better local and general tolerance of the acellular vaccine as compared with the whole cell vaccine. This should help to develop a positive opinion toward pertussis vaccine among parents and practitioners, and to improve the level of active pertussis immunization among children, adolescents, and young adults.