Context: Universal immunization against
Bordetella pertussis
has partially controlled the burden of the disease and its transmission.
However, according to recent data, the epidemiology of this vaccine-preventable disease has changed. Now, younger infants,
adolescents, and adults are at greater risk of infection. This article has studied the interaction between the various factors involved
in the changing epidemiology of pertussis and the major obstacles faced by the current strategies in its prevention.
Evidence Acquisition: In this narrative review, the most recently published sources of information on pertussis control measures,
consisting of textbooks and articles, have been reviewed. We focused on the more recent data about the changing epidemiology or
pertussis in Scopus through the use of the MeSH-term words [pertussis] or [whooping cough] and [epidemiology] or [outbreak] or
[resurgence], but our search was not restricted to this particular strategy; we also tried to find all of the most recent available data
in the general field through other means.
Results: Primary and booster doses of the pertussis vaccine seem to partially control transmission of the disease, but despite the
different preventive strategies available, pertussis continues to cause mortality and morbidity among high-risk groups.
Conclusions: Adding booster doses of acellular pertussis vaccine to the current national immunization practices with whole-cell
vaccines for young adults and pregnantwomenseems to be a good option for controlling mortality and morbidity among high-risk
groups such as very young infants.
