Is B. pertussis a Live Vaccine?
No, B. pertussis vaccines are NOT live vaccines—they are inactivated vaccines containing either killed whole bacterial cells or purified bacterial components. 1
Current Pertussis Vaccine Types
Whole-Cell Pertussis Vaccines (First Generation)
- Whole-cell pertussis vaccines are prepared from suspensions of inactivated or disrupted Bordetella pertussis whole bacterial cells—these are killed bacteria, not live organisms 1
- These vaccines have been used routinely in the United States since the late 1940s and remain highly effective, though they are associated with more adverse reactions than newer formulations 1
Acellular Pertussis Vaccines (Second Generation)
- Modern acellular pertussis vaccines (DTaP for children, Tdap for adolescents/adults) contain purified components of B. pertussis rather than whole killed bacteria 2
- These vaccines include 1-5 purified antigens such as pertussis toxoid (inactivated pertussis toxin), filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), pertactin, and fimbriae 1
- The pertussis toxin component is specifically inactivated to a toxoid when included in vaccines 1
- Currently available DTaP vaccines in the US include Infanrix and Daptacel 2
Important Clinical Distinction
Both whole-cell and acellular pertussis vaccines are inactivated/killed vaccines—neither contains live bacteria. This is a critical safety feature, as it means:
- These vaccines cannot cause pertussis infection 1
- They can be safely administered to immunocompromised individuals (unlike live vaccines which are typically contraindicated in this population)
- There is no risk of vaccine-strain transmission to contacts
Experimental Live Attenuated Vaccines
While current licensed vaccines are all inactivated, live attenuated nasal B. pertussis vaccines (such as BPZE1) are in clinical development but are not yet licensed or available for routine use 3, 4, 5. These experimental vaccines represent a fundamentally different approach and should not be confused with currently available pertussis vaccines.