Faculty

Khoo Phaik Choo

The Essentials of Prevention Through Hexavalent Vaccine

In her presentation, Dr Khoo highlights the sciences behind pertussis vaccines, with particular focus on the function of pertactin (PRN). PRN is a pertussis antigen which is expressed on the surface of Bordetella pertussis. Anti-PRN antibodies are able to effectively trigger the complement system and facilitate phagocytosis of the pathogen, leading to reduced bacterial load. Evidence shows that PRN-containing pertussis vaccines appear to have higher vaccine efficacy against pertussis, with up to 89% vaccine efficacy in one publication. Safety is of the utmost importance when making an informed decision for their child's vaccines. A safety meta analysis on the hexavalent vaccine was published last year, and the publication highlights potential differences between vaccines when it comes to local and systemic adverse events.

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