Maternal Pertussis Vaccination Effective in Preventing Infections in Infants: Study

A Pediatrics study, “Maternal Pertussis Vaccination, Infant Immunization, and Risk of Pertussis,” analyzed the effect of pertussis vaccine when given during pregnancy and found it prevented 65% of pertussis infections in infants through six months of age. The study, published in the November 2023 Pediatrics (published online Oct. 9), reviewed data on 279,418 infants born to 252,444 mothers in Australia, about 52% of whom received the vaccine through a maternal pertussis vaccination program. The study also sought to clarify the duration of protection, the importance of gestational age at vaccination, and the potential effects on an infant’s immune response to vaccinations for pertussis and other diseases after birth. Researchers found that the maternal pertussis vaccine might lower the effectiveness of an infant’s third DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-containing vaccine) but they did not observe evidence of higher rates of pertussis infection in those infants through 18 months of age. Pertussis is a highly contagious and potentially severe respiratory illness, and infants account for 70%-90% of all pertussis-attributable hospitalizations and death, according to the study.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.