FDA Scientists Evaluate Pertussis Vaccines' Effectiveness

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FDA Scientists Evaluate Pertussis Vaccines' Effectiveness
A new NIAID-funded study by researchers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that while acellular vaccines for pertussis (whooping cough) prevent disease among people who are vaccinated, they may not effectively stop the infection from spreading to others, including the unvaccinated.
Last year, pertussis infections reached a 50-year high in the U.S. “This resurgence suggests a need for research into the causes behind the increase in infections and improved ways to prevent the disease from spreading,” said NIAID director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
For more information on pertussis vaccines and this study’s findings, see the FDA news release: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm376937.htm.