Just checked with a friend concerning the research being done regarding Bordatella vaccine ineffectiveness, was reminded that adenovirus, canine herpes, reovirus, and mycoplasma are also major causes of kennel cough.
There was a study spearheaded in 2003 by the association of greyhound racers that wanted drug manufactuers to produce a new Bordatella vaccine because a larger percentage of their racing stock was being vaccinated bi-annually and many were still getting "kennel cough". Currently this study is privately funded ($275,000 contributed) since there is no controlled evidence that indicates that there is a problem with the vaccine versus a problem with the way greyhound racers are housed, vaccines adminsitered, stored, etc. The only major university that has expressed interested in the study is not the United States.
Not all vaccinations will prove effective as vaccine failures can occur. Causes for vaccine failure can include improper storage and handling, incorrect administration, and the inability of a dog to respond due to a debilatated condition or concurrent illness that stresses the immune system. Giving too many vaccinations at the same time can cause immune system overload and thus a failure for the body to produce antibodies. Streching out vaccines by dividing a single dose between two dogs may not give the protection needed, thus rendering the vaccine ineffective. Finally, if a dog is already infected with a infectious disease, vaccinating it will not alter the course of the disease.
For this reason, this study hasn't been taken seriously by most pharmaceutical companies and universities, the occurances of it "not working" were not in controlled environment or even in a hospital, but in the kennels where racing greyhounds are kept. It is a big money making industry so it's logical that they have a business interest in keeping their animals healthy, but if they spent their money on better living conditions, perhaps they wouldn't have so many outbreaks.
No vaccine is perfect, but intranasal Bordatella vaccine has shown to work effectively in most animals.
If there is any other studies you are aware of please let me know. I'm trying to ingest all the information I can.
-Nate