Announcing the publication of the WHO immunological basis for immunization series module on pertussis vaccines

Abstract

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an updated document aimed at facilitating the understanding of the immunological basis of pertussis vaccines and their use. The document “The Immunological Basis for Immunization Series: Pertussis Vaccines” is freely available on the WHO website. The main purpose of the module is to provide national immunization managers and vaccination professionals with an overview of the scientific basis of vaccination against pertussis and the immunological basis for the WHO position on pertussis vaccines.The Immunological Basis for Immunization Series was initially developed in 1993. Since then the series was regularly updated and extended. They reflect the biological differences in immune responses to the individual pathogens and the differing strategies employed to create the best possible level of protection that can be provided by vaccination.We invite the immunization community to use these references, and we hope the updated pertussis vaccine module will be a valuable resource.