title: Control of pertussis in infants: time has finally come?
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, FCM da Santa Casa de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marco Aurelio P
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Safadi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines
keywords: effectiveness; maternal immunization; pertussis; safety; vaccine