Pertussis Vaccine

Pertussis vaccine is a vaccine that protects against whooping cough, available in two main types: whole-cell vaccines, about 78 percent effective, and acellular vaccines, 71 to 85 percent effective, with the acellular vaccine's effectiveness decreasing more rapidly over time. It is only available in combination with tetanus and diphtheria vaccines as the DPT vaccine, and is estimated to have saved over 500,000 lives in 2002 alone. The pertussis vaccine was developed in 1926, and vaccinating a pregnant mother may protect her baby; acellular vaccines are more commonly used in the developed world due to fewer adverse effects, though whole-cell vaccines should not be used after seven years of age. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.