Booster vaccination of toddlers with reduced antigen content diphtheria -- tetanus -- acellular pertussis vaccine.

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of DTPa and reduced antigen dTpa booster vaccines were compared to a hepatitis A control vaccine in DTPa-primed toddlers aged 18 - 20 months. Post-booster, all DTPa and dTpa recipients were seroprotected against diphtheria and tetanus, and > or = 93.3% had a booster response to pertussis. There were similar reactogenicity rates in the DTPa and dTpa vaccine recipients. Few Grade 3 symptoms were reported. Just over one in four children in the control group had diphtheria antibody at or potentially below the correlate of protection benchmark (0.016IU/ml). Larger studies should evaluate potential benefits of reduced antigen vaccines and seroprotection in children who do not receive a booster dose of DTPa at this age, including protection against diphtheria until subsequent booster doses are given.