Author(s)

Emmanuel Eyo Ekanem^1*, Glory Ekpo Bassey¹, Henry Chima Okpara², Eyong Komomo Ibor¹

¹Dept. of Paediatrics, University of Calabar and University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
²Dept. of Chemical Pathology, University of Calabar and University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.

Background: In Nigeria Pentavalent vaccine had replaced Diphtheria-Pertussis- Tetanus [DPT] vaccine in the prevention of pertussis since 2012. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the anti-pertussis immunoglobin G (IgG) response of children who received DPT with those who received the pentavalent vaccine. Subjects and Methods: This study was carried out in Akpabuyo LGA of Cross River State from April to June 2016. It was a cross-sectional survey of anti-pertussis IgG levels in children aged 6 months to 5 years who received DPT and those who received pentavalent vaccine. IgG antibody levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protective level was set at >11 DU according to manufacturer’s cut off point. Results: Seventy eight out of 230 children [33.9%] who had received DPT had protective levels of anti-pertussis IgG compared to 74 out of 192 children [38.5%] who had received pentavalent vaccine. The difference was not statistically significant [p = 0.61]. The median IgG antibody level in those who received DPT was 8.0 DU (interquartile range (IQR) 4.0 - 13.0) compared with 9.0 DU (IQR) 4.0 - 15.0 in those who received pentavalent vaccine [p = 0.18]. No single factor investigated predicted the development of protective levels of antibody in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion/Recommendation: There was no difference in the antipertussis antibody response between DPT and pentavalent vaccines recipients. Further study is needed to elucidate factors that could be responsible for low anti-pertussis antibody response in this population.

Anti-Pertussis Immunoglobulin G, Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus, Pentavalent Vaccine, Comparative

Ekanem, E. , Bassey, G. , Okpara, H. and Ibor, E. (2020) Comparative Pertussis Antibody Response of Nigerian Children to Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT) and Pentavalent Vaccines. World Journal of Vaccines, 10, 43-53. doi: 10.4236/wjv.2020.103004.