1 University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94143
The Public Health authorities in Britain have decided that pertussis vaccine is less risky at early ages than the whooping cough infection. This vaccine is usually given together with diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis vaccine. Only the pertussis component involves a significant risk of reaction; however, its use at an early age is believed to protect against the greater severity of the disease in infancy.
Because of the severity of the adverse reactions, this vaccine is not recommended for routine use past ages 5 to 7 years.