Serotype specificity of vaccine-induced immunity to pertussis.

Two large epidemics of pertussis occurred in Britain during 1977-79 and 1981-83, following a decline in vaccine uptake in the mid-1970s. Serotype 1,3 predominated during both epidemics but serotypes 1,2 and 1,2,3 constituted 32% (243 of 769) of the isolates from unvaccinated children compared with only 10% (9 of 86) of the isolates from vaccinated children (p < 0.005). Whole-cell vaccines, although effective against infection with all serotypes, have a higher efficacy against serotypes 1,2 and 1,2,3 than against serotype 1,3. These data suggest that not only should acellular vaccines contain agglutinogens specific for each serotype but trials should demonstrate efficacy against all three serotypes.