(HealthDay News) — Tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination during the third trimester of pregnancy is effective for preventing pertussis in infants in the first months of life, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Tami H. Skoff, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a case-control evaluation among pertussis cases <2 months old with onset of cough between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2014, from 6 US Emerging Infection Program Network states. Controls were selected by birth certificate and matched by hospital. Data were included for 240 cases and 535 controls.
The researchers found that 7.1% and 16.8% of case and control mothers, respectively, received Tdap during the third trimester of pregnancy. For Tdap administered during the third trimester of pregnancy, the multivariable vaccine effectiveness estimate was 77.7%. Against hospitalized cases, vaccine effectiveness increased to 90.5%.
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“Vaccination during pregnancy is an effective way to protect infants during the early months of life,” the authors write. “With a continuing resurgence in pertussis, efforts should focus on maximizing Tdap uptake among pregnant women.“
Reference
Impact of the US Maternal Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis Vaccination Program on preventing pertussis in infants <2 months of age: A case-control evaluation. Clin Infect Dis. 28 Sept 2017. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix724
