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Abstract
Despite the success of routine immunization programs against pertussis worldwide, control of the disease in young infants has never been achieved. The greatest risk of disease, hospitalization and death occur in infants, who are too young to have received the primary pertussis immunization course. Different interventions to provide indirect protection to infants were recommended, including vaccination programs with Tdap for adolescents, adults, postpartum women and household contacts of infants, but all of them failed to effectively control the disease in infants. Based on the successful experience of maternal tetanus vaccination, and more recently influenza vaccination, maternal Tdap vaccine has been universally recommended since 2011/2012 in several countries to prevent pertussis in infants. The recent publication of data on the uptake, safety and effectiveness of these programs, as well as impact on disease rates in infants is encouraging, anticipating the possibility to at last control pertussis in this vulnerable age group.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
MAP Safadi has received grants to support research projects and consultancy fee from GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Sanofi Pasteur. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.