Abstract
BackgroundThe Cambodia pertussis immunization schedule includes three doses given at age 6, 10 and 14 weeks using a whole-pertussis vaccine. No booster doses are included. Pertussis biological diagnosis is unavailable in Cambodia and its burden remains unclear. This study aimed to provide accurate data on pertussis serological status of Cambodian children and adolescents, and to evaluate vaccination timeliness. MethodsFully vaccinated children aged 3–15 years were recruited at the Rabies Prevention Center, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Capillary blood samples and information on pertussis vaccination history were collected. Anti-pertussis toxin (PT) IgG titers were quantified by ELISA. ResultsCompliance with the national immunization schedule was 95.1%. Initiation of vaccination after 8 weeks of age was observed for 29.0% of the children, but was less frequent in the youngest children (13.0%) compared with the oldest ones (46.4%). Rate of children exhibiting anti-PT IgG varied across age groups, and increased from 35.7% to 55.0% in 3–5 and 12–15 years age groups, respectively. ConclusionPertussis circulates among vaccinated Cambodian children and adolescents. These data support the need for public health authorities to strengthen pertussis surveillance and use local epidemiological data to make evidence-based decision for the establishment of an optimal vaccination strategy.
Highlights
Whooping cough, known as pertussis, is a highly contagious disease (Clark, 2012; Kretzschmar et al, 2010)
In many low and middle-income countries (LMIC) these additional vaccinations are not included in the national immunization program and only the primary vaccination is given through the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), using whole-cell vaccines
29% (221/760) of the children started their pertussis vaccinations at age >8 weeks, which was significantly associated with age groups (Table 1)
Summary
Known as pertussis, is a highly contagious disease (Clark, 2012; Kretzschmar et al, 2010). The etiological agent is the Gram-negative bacterium Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) that typically causes respiratory illness lasting several weeks The incidence of this disease has greatly decreased with the mass vaccination that began in the 1950s in high-income countries (HIC) and was introduced into the developing world with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) from 1974 (Guiso et al, 2020; World Health Organization, 2015b). Less reactogenic acellular vaccines (aPVs) have been developed since the 1980s, the WHO continues to recommend vaccination with wPV in national immunization programs for children aged
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