Pharmacology · Bacterial and antimalarial vaccines
Pertussis vaccine !
Whole-cell or acellular vaccine (purified components such as pertussis toxin) that protects infants from severe whooping cough.
Updated 2026-11-01
Also called: Whooping cough vaccine, Whole-cell DTP (DTwP), Acellular DTaP / Tdap
The figure shows pertussis toxin from Bordetella pertussis, the main antigen of acellular vaccines (as toxoid).
Mechanism of action
Pertussis is mainly a toxin-mediated disease: its toxins paralyse respiratory cilia and inflame the airway. Whole-cell vaccine contains inactivated bacteria; acellular vaccine contains purified antigens (pertussis toxoid, filamentous haemagglutinin, pertactin and others). Antibodies neutralise the toxin and hinder bacterial attachment.
- Vaccine supplies inactivated bacteria or purified antigens
- Antibodies form against the toxin and adhesins
- Less attachment to epithelium and toxin neutralised
- Maternal IgG after vaccination in pregnancy protects the young infant
Pharmacokinetics
- Distribution
- IgG induced in the pregnant woman crosses to the fetus and protects in the first months
- Elimination
- Acellular vaccine immunity wanes over the years; antibodies after Tdap fall markedly within the first year
Indications
- Childhood series combined with diphtheria and tetanus
- Vaccination in every pregnancy (Tdap) to protect the newborn
Adverse effects
Common
- Local pain, redness and swelling, more with whole-cell vaccine
- Fever and irritability
Contraindications
- Encephalopathy with no other cause within seven days of a previous dose
- Previous anaphylaxis to a dose or component
Key interactions
- Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids
- Almost always given in the same combination vaccine; contraindications of the pertussis part apply to the whole combination
What is monitored
- Fever, persistent crying or neurological reactions after the dose
- Gestational age when vaccinating in pregnancy
Administration and safety
- Intramuscular route, within a combination vaccine
- Do not confuse the paediatric formulation (DTaP/DTwP) with the adult one (Tdap)
- Record product and batch
Nursing care
- Ask about seizures or encephalopathy after previous doses
- Watch for fever and inconsolable crying in the following hours
- In pregnancy, explain that the vaccine protects the baby in its first months
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Tdap is recommended in every pregnancy to protect the newborn with maternal antibodies.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Why were acellular pertussis vaccines developed?
Because local and systemic reactions were frequent with whole-cell vaccine; acellular vaccine uses purified antigens.
Why is Tdap given in every pregnancy?
So maternal IgG crosses to the fetus and protects the infant during the months before its own series is complete; maternal antibodies fall within the first year.
What is the classic neurological contraindication to pertussis-containing vaccines?
Encephalopathy with no other identifiable cause within seven days of a previous dose.
Related drugs
← Back to the class: Bacterial and antimalarial vaccines
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: Chapter 16: Pertussis | Pink Book | CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026); eEML - Electronic Essential Medicines List (World Health Organization, 2025).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.