Breakthrough Nasal Vaccine: A Game Changer in Stopping Whooping Cough Spread

A new nasal vaccine from Tulane University may help reduce whooping cough cases in the U.S. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Current vaccines prevent the disease but do not stop the bacteria from lingering in the upper respiratory tract, allowing vaccinated people to still spread it.

The new vaccine uses traditional pertussis antigens combined with an adjuvant called T-vant. This adjuvant enhances the immune response in the respiratory tract. In a study published in npj Vaccines, mice given the T-vant vaccine intranasally showed no traces of the bacteria in their lungs and nasopharynx three weeks after infection. In contrast, mice that received the traditional vaccine through an injection still had the bacteria in their upper respiratory tract.

Lisa Morici, the lead author of the study, emphasized the vaccine’s dual goal: to protect individuals and to limit the spread of whooping cough in communities. The study found no harmful effects on lung tissue, confirming the vaccine’s safety.

The urgency for this vaccine comes as whooping cough cases have surged, with a five-fold increase reported by the CDC compared to last year. Worldwide, the disease affects around 24 million people annually, particularly impacting infants and those with weakened immune systems.

James McLachlan, a co-author of the study, highlighted the need for vaccines that prevent both infection and transmission. He stated that this new approach is a hopeful step forward in fighting the disease. T-vant was developed with support from the NIH Adjuvant Development program.

For more information, see the journal reference: Galeas-Pena, M., et al. (2024). A novel outer membrane vesicle adjuvant improves vaccine protection against Bordetella pertussis. npj Vaccines. doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00990-1.