TOLERANCE OF CHILDREN OLDER THAN 4 YEARS TO ACELLULAR DPT-VACCINES: RESULTS OF A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

Background. Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection of airborne transmission type that still remains a serious problem in Russia and around the world. The only reliable means of specific prophylaxis of pertussis is vaccination. In Russia, only one revaccination from pertussis is provided at the age of one and a half years, which is done with whole-cell DTP vaccine, which is not used with children older than 4 years due to high reactogenicity. Imported acellular DTP vaccines are an alternative to whole-cell vaccines licensed for use with older children. Objective: Our aim was to study children’s tolerability of the vaccine containing acellular pertussis component. Methods. The safety of acellular DTP vaccines (DTaP, DTaP/IPV/Hib) has been analyzed in a retrospective study with children older than 4 years at the department of vaccinal prevention of Scientific Center of Children’s Health (Moscow) in the period from December 2014 to December 2015.Results. The results of 123 vaccinated children aged 4 to 9 have been studies. Among them, healthy children — 62, those having allergic disease — 30, those with other chronic diseases — 31. In the post-vaccination period (3–7 days), local reactions (weak and/or strong) were recorded with 19 (31%) healthy children, 11 (37%) with children having allergic diseases, 9 (29%) with children having other chronic diseases. General reactions to vaccination (weak and/or strong) occurred with 11 (18%), 6 (20%), and 8 (26%) children respectively. Conclusion. The compared groups did not differ in frequency of post-vaccination reactions and their intensity, with the exception of strong local reactions that occurred more frequently with children having allergic diseases.

Keywords

• pertussis
• acellular vaccines
• whole-cell vaccines
• vaccination
• bordetellapertussis