Whooping cough nasal spray could stop spread as well as prevent disease
UK researchers have reported early evidence that a new vaccine could provide better protection against whooping cough as well as helping to prevent spread.
The BPZE1 vaccine – given as a single spray into the nose – was shown to be safe and well tolerated in a clinical trial of 53 volunteers and triggered strong immune responses.
It works by stopping the pertussis bacteria living in the nose and throat.
Reporting the trial results in The Lancet Microbe, researchers at the Universities of Southampton and Oxford said most people who received the vaccine had little or no bacteria in their nose after being exposed to the infection suggesting it could also limit transmission.
Further trials are now planned but the hope is it could be given in children and adults and maybe also in pregnancy if supported by clinical evidence, the researchers said.
Last year saw the highest whooping cough numbers since 1994.
Over the course of 2024, there were 14,879 confirmed cases and 11 babies with pertussis died.
The NIHR funded trial results suggest the new vaccine could be a ‘major breakthrough’ said public health minister Ashley Dalton.
‘It’s a powerful showcase of the UK’s world-class research sector driving innovation to protect future generations.’
Professor Robert Read, who led the study at the University of Southampton, said: ‘This is the first time a whooping cough vaccine has been shown to prevent the bacteria from colonising the nose and throat in humans.
‘That could represent a big step forward in stopping the spread of the disease.’
Pertussis vaccination for pregnant women has been in place since 2012.
Since its introduction, most of the infant deaths with pertussis have been in babies born to mothers who were not vaccinated in pregnancy.
The latest UKHSA estimates shows the current vaccine provides 91% protection against infant death.
Prenatal pertussis vaccination rates have shown some signs of improvement this year at 65.5% for 2024/25 compared with 60.7% in 2022/23.
But there is wide variation by region of the country and ethnicity the figures show.
Monthly coverage has been steadily increasing since April 2024 but it remains below the peak of 76.2% seen in 2016, the UK Health Security Agency said.
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READERS' COMMENTS [1]
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Just to be clear that this is in contrast and comparison to the existing vacccine, which is an antitoxin vaccine that stimulates immunity to the Whooping cough toxin, and not an immunity to or any activity against Bordetella infection.
the new vaccine would differ considerably in this respect, and is a huge step in a different direction.
It has the potential to offer development of Herd Immunity to whooping cough, which the existing antitoxin vaccine has not had at all. Hence there would be increased protection of newborn babies, which they otherwise migth not get until vaccinated after 2-3 months.