GlaxoSmithKline's booster vaccine, Boostrix [Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Adsorbed (Tdap)] received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Boostrix is indicated to be given as a single dose to individuals aged 10 to 18 years thereby adding a pertussis component to the routine tetanus/diphtheria booster currently administered to teens. Previously, there was no pertussis vaccine approved for use in the United States in children seven years of age or older.

"The introduction of Boostrix marks a milestone in the fight against pertussis in the United States, particularly among adolescents who are an important reservoir for the disease and often the source of infection for infants," said Gary Marshall, professor of Paediatrics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky.

Reported cases of pertussis have risen nearly 20-fold since 1976. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were almost 20,000 cases in 2004 - the highest number of reported cases in more than 40 years.

Pertussis, commonly known as "whooping cough," is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the respiratory system that causes spasms of severe coughing. Up to 90 per cent of non-vaccinated susceptible household members may develop the disease when exposed to people infected with pertussis.