Pertussis Resurgence: Perspectives From the Working Group Meeting on Pertussis on the Causes, Possible Paths Forward, and Gaps in Our Knowledge

Abstract

The resurgence of pertussis in the United States has stimulated considerable public health interest in developing new vaccination strategies to improve control of pertussis. The purpose of this article is to review the US Food and Drug Administration's regulatory framework for the prelicensure clinical evaluation of preventive vaccines and the clinical approaches that have been used to demonstrate effectiveness of US-licensed vaccines containing an acellular pertussis component.