The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommends Universal Pertussis Booster Vaccination for Adolescents

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The National Partnership for Immunization (NPI) supports the decision of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to recommend universal Tdap (Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Adsorbed (Tdap)) booster vaccination for adolescents. We believe the universal recommendation of this pertussis booster vaccine will further improve and enhance the health and well-being of adolescents by helping to protect them from this serious and highly contagious disease, NPI states in the press release.

Pertussis is a serious and growing public health threat, with outbreaks occurring nationwide, particularly among adolescents who accounted for almost 40 percent of cases reported to the CDC in 2004, says David A. Neumann, PhD, executive director of NPI. ACIPs recommendation is an important step in ensuring that all adolescents in the U.S. are better protected against pertussis, a serious vaccine-preventable disease.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Boostrix (Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Adsorbed (Tdap)), which is indicated to be given as a single dose to individuals 10 to 18 years of age thereby adding a pertussis component to the routine tetanus/diphtheria booster currently recommended for teens.

The introduction of Boostrix and the recommendation for universal vaccination for teens marks a milestone in the fight against pertussis in the U.S., particularly among adolescents who are an important reservoir for the disease and often the source of infection for others, Neumann says. There has been an alarming 743 percent increase in reported adolescent pertussis cases in the last decade. Due to these troubling statistics, it is critical for adolescents to receive extended protection against pertussis.

Source: The National Partnership for Immunization