Evaluate the impact on transmission dynamics and cost-effectiveness of pertussis booster vaccine for Canadian adolescents and adults

Pertussis or whooping cough is caused by the strict human pathogen B. pertussis or Bordetella parapertussis and is a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening respiratory tract illness when it occurs in unprotected infants. Despite the introduction of acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines and great initial success of the immunization program, pertussis outbreaks were reported in adolescents and adults in Canada since 1993. This trend was demonstrated as shift in pertussis epidemiology from infants and young children. Further, pertussis in children associated with adolescents or adults cases have been reported in developed countries, in which siblings and adults were identified as the main source for the transmission of pertussis to young unvaccinated infants. This program represents a timely response to the urgent public health concern to understand the introduction of different aP vaccine (booster) recommendations (for <65 years old and>=65) on the transmission dynamics of B. pertussis, and cost-effectives in Canada by developing and testing the comparative age-structure and cost-effective economic models. This program is expected to provide recommendation about acellular pertussis immunization policy and practice guidelines. TOBECONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Jianhong Wu

Student:

Partner:

Sanofi

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Biotechnology

University:

York University

Program: