Vaccines containing formalin-inactivated whole-cell Bordetella pertussis strains were first developed in the USA in the 1930s, and manufacturing processes were standardised in 1947. From the mid-1950s, whole-cell vaccines were combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, but frequent systemic and local reactions and variability in effectiveness led to declining uptake in Europe and Japan. In the USA, litigation was brought against manufacturers, leading to development of more purified acellular vaccines in the 1980s.
Original Article: [Comment] Genetically modified pertussis toxin: a quantum leap?