Prevention of pertussis in adolescents and young adults.

The IAP Committee on Immunization (COI) recommends offering Tdap vaccine instead of Td/ TT vaccine in all children / adolescents who can afford to use the vaccine(1). Tdap is a costly vaccine, which many parents may not be able to afford. There is a need for a less expensive vaccine, though slightly more reactogenic because of whole cell pertussis antigen in reduced quantity, with full dose of tetanus toxoid and reduced quantity of diphtheria antigen. I seek views of the Committee on Immunization that till such a vaccine becomes commercially available can we mix 0.1 mL of DPT vaccine from 0.5 mL ampule in a 0.5 mL of tetanus toxoid and administer 0.5 mL of this mixture to individuals above 7 years of age?