Infants’ first pertussis vaccinations need to be given during pregnancy

+Practice
Vaccines

Infants’ first pertussis vaccinations need to be given during pregnancy

By Mary Nowlan
Iceberg
Notified cases of pertussis could be the tip of the iceberg [Image: AWeith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons]

The recent death of a baby from whooping cough highlights the importance of antenatal vaccination, followed by on-time infant immunisations

Key points, Pertussis is life-threatening in infants. Vaccination given during pregnancy is the best way to protect the youngest infants from pertussis. Boost, Pract Green w Pale Yellow
References

1. Malek A, Sager R, Kuhn P, et al. Evolution of maternofetal transport of immunoglobulins during human pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol 1996;36(5):248–55.

2. Byrne L, Campbell H, Andrews N, et al. Hospitalisation of preterm infants with pertussis in the context of a maternal vaccination programme in England. Arch Dis Child 2018;103(3):224–29.

3. Amirthalingam G, Campbell H, Ribeiro S, et al. Optimization of timing of maternal pertussis immunization from 6 years of postimplementation surveillance data in England. Clin Infect Dis 2023;76(3):e1129–39.

4. Martinón-Torres F, Halperin SA, Nolan T, et al. Impact of maternal diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccination on pertussis booster immune responses in toddlers: Follow-up of a randomized trial. Vaccine 2021;39(11):1598–608.

5. Regan AK, Moore HC, Binks MJ, et al. Maternal pertussis vaccination, infant immunization, and risk of pertussis. Pediatrics 2023;152(5):e2023062664.

6. Howe AS, Pointon L, Gauld N, et al. Pertussis and influenza immunisation coverage of pregnant women in New Zealand. Vaccine 2020;38(43):6766–76.