Pertussis Booster Dose Delivers Lasting Protection

With the unexpected upsurge in pertussis (whooping cough) cases in 2024, many people have asked about booster doses for added protection. Pertussis remains one of the least controlled vaccine-preventable diseases, and it occurs in vaccinated people because vaccine protection fades over time.

A recent study assessed antibody persistence five years after booster vaccination with either a recombinant or chemically detoxified pertussis vaccine.

These researchers from Bangkok, Thailand, found that a booster dose of recombinant pertussis vaccines provides increased immunity in adolescents and young adults even after five years, with pertussis toxin–neutralizing antibody levels remaining 2.5- to 3-fold higher than prevaccination levels. 

In JAMA Network Open, published as a Research Letter on December 5, 2024, the 5-year persistence of neutralizing anti-PT antibodies at levels more than 4-fold more significant than the seropositivity cutoff of 5 IU/mL supports the capacity of recombinant pertussis vaccines to boost long-lasting protection. The modest decline in neutralizing antibody levels between 2 and 5 years after vaccination suggests that protective immunity may persist well beyond 5 years.

This study illustrates the sustained persistence of immunity 5 years after booster vaccination with recombinant acellular pertussis vaccines.

Long-lasting protection was demonstrated earlier in an efficacy trial for PTgen-containing recombinant vaccines after primary immunization in infants.

These researchers wrote, 'Our findings suggest that PTgen-containing vaccines can also offer longer-lasting protection in adolescents, supporting their use as booster vaccines in adolescents and adults to enhance population immunity.'

'However, effectiveness studies are needed to demonstrate the clinical impact of the immunological observations.'

Before the availability of a pertussis vaccine in the 1940s, public health agencies reported more than 200,000 cases annually. As of late December 2024, the number of pertussis cases in the United States has significantly increased this year.

Preliminary data published by the U.S. CDC show that more than six times as many pertussis cases have been reported compared to the same time in 2023.

The CDC recommends pertussis vaccination for almost everyone, as it is the best way to protect against whooping cough. If you have questions about which vaccines are best for you and your family, talk to a local pharmacist.