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Medical Definition of Pertussis vaccine
1. A suspension of killed bordetella pertussis organisms, used for immunization against pertussis (whooping cough). It is generally used in a mixture with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (dtp). There is an acellular pertussis vaccine prepared from the purified antigenic components of bordetella pertussis, which causes fewer adverse reactions than whole-cell vaccine and, like the whole-cell vaccine, is generally used in a mixture with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids. (12 Dec 1998)