The purification and characterization of an acellular pertussis vaccine

Abstract

An acellular pertussis vaccine manufactured by Biken^‡ was investigated for purity, potency and toxicity. The vaccine was composed of almost equal proportions of pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). The purity of the vaccine was 97–99%. The protective effects of component vaccines containing various ratios of PT and FHA were tested and it was found that the ratio of 1:1 provided the most effective vaccine.