Evaluating Pertussis Immunity in School-Aged Children Post DPT Vaccination

Abstract

Background: Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a contagious disease that vaccines can prevent. In developed nations with high vaccination rates, pertussis has been resurgent despite the use of acellular vaccines. However, there is a need to assess pertussis immunity in developing countries that still rely on whole-cell vaccines.

Aims: The present study was designed to evaluate the level of immunity of school-age children against pertussis after routine DPT vaccinations according to the Egyptian vaccination program.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study included 281 school-age children aged between 6 and 12 years who were free from acute or chronic illnesses and had average growth. Pertussis IgG testing was conducted for each child using the ELISA technique.

Results: The study found that 51.9% of the children had a positive seroprevalence to pertussis, while 26% tested negative for seroimmunity and 22.1% had equivocal results. There was no relationship between the children's age and the pertussis seroprevalence. However, the urban population and those with a higher social status showed a higher frequency of negative seroprevalence to pertussis.

Conclusion: Only 51.9% of school-age children showed positive seroprevalence to pertussis, potentially leaving many children unprotected against the infection. The level of pertussis IgG was not found to be correlated with the children's age or the duration of vaccination. Further large-scale studies are required to confirm these results and explore the status of pertussis infection in susceptible patients.

Keywords: Pertussis, Immunity, Children, DPT, Vaccination.