Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Pertussis resurgence in vaccinated populations

5^th Asia Pacific Global Summit and Expo on Vaccines & Vaccination

July 27-29, 2015 Brisbane, Australia

Muhammad Ali Syed

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

Pertussis or whooping cough is a highly infectious, vaccine preventable disease. The incidence of the diseases has greatly been reduced since the introduction of whole cell DTP vaccine in many countries of both developing as well developed world. Pertussis resurgence has been observed in highly vaccinated populations of Western countries since 1990s. Poor vaccine quality, waning vaccine induced immunity, pathogen adaptation and enhanced surveillance as well as advancements in diagnostic facilities are some of the reasons considered responsible for the return of pertussis. Furthermore, a shift of pertussis has been witnessed from infants and children to adolescent and adults. Pertussis may have been ignored and went unnoticed due to its atypical manifestations in partially immunized population or people with waning immunity. Author reviews the reports of pertussis resurgence from different countries and attempts to investigate reasons behind this come back of the disease. He also emphasizes on the fact that pertussis is still an under reported disease and the available data from the developing countries is not a true picture of the story. Underdeveloped countries of Asian and African continents need to improve their surveillance systems so that a targeted global effort towards control of this vaccine preventable disease may be made.