Inha University Hospital announced Monday that Kim Dong-hyun, a professor in its department of pediatrics, has been awarded a government-funded research project on whooping cough vaccine immunity commissioned by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health.
The three-year project, valued at 1.925 billion won (about $1,250,000), will involve more than seven medical institutions nationwide and track 1,620 vaccinated individuals between the ages of 4 and adolescence over the long term.
The research team plans to analyze not only antibody responses in recipients of the Tdap booster vaccine but also cellular immune responses — including memory B cells and memory T cells — to determine how long vaccine protection lasts and what role immune memory plays.
The study is drawing attention as the first large-scale Tdap vaccine cohort study in South Korea, amid a recent surge in domestic whooping cough cases and a rise in infections among adolescents.
"We will scientifically verify whether immune memory formed after vaccination maintains protective capacity, and use those findings to provide an evidence base for future immunization policy," Kim said.
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
