title: Pertussis: an important target for maternal immunization.
abstract: Cord blood antipertussis IgG concentrations were measured in infants and were found to be nearly equal to maternal levels. By 4 months of age most infants had no measurable antibody to pertussis toxin (PT) or filamentous hemagglutinin. Higher concentrations of maternally derived antibody to PT were associated with a weaker pertussis toxin antibody response to whole cell pertussis vaccine, but not to a cellular vaccine. These studies suggest that maternal immunization would provide early protection of the newborn to allow time for the primary immunization schedule at 2, 4, and 6 months of age to induce more durable protection.
authors.affiliation: Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA. kathryn.edwards@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine