Genetic Approaches to a Vaccine for Pertussis

Whooping cough is a severe disease which each year affects over 60 million children and is responsible for over one million deaths. The vaccine presently available, composed of killed bacteria, is very effective in preventing the disease. However, it is not yet widely used in developing countries while in Western countries the fear of adverse reactions has decreased the vaccine acceptance with a resulting increase of morbidity and mortality due to the disease (Moxon and Rappuoli, 1990).