Pertussis vaccination during pregnancy

All content is checked by medical journalists.

MunichCoughing fits, rattling breath and shortness of breath - whooping cough is a great danger for babies. That is why vaccination is recommended in this country from the second month of life. But some children get infected earlier. A new study now shows the benefits of vaccinating pregnant women for the child.

Immunization against whooping cough is one of the most important in childhood. Because with an infection, mucus quickly collects in the lungs. If this cannot be coughed up, there is a risk of sudden respiratory arrest.

Vaccination too late?

A vaccination from the second month of life, as recommended by the Robert Koch Institute in Germany, may, however, be too late. This became clear in 2012 with the example of Great Britain. Whooping cough was rampant among adults there, which also infected many newborns under two months of age. To protect the babies, the country therefore initiated a vaccination program for pregnant women - this should protect the children from birth. A study by a British team of scientists led by Gayatri Amirthlingam shows how successful this measure was. The researchers included the data from 26,684 mothers in their study. Of those in 2012, an average of 64 percent had had whooping cough vaccinated during their pregnancy.

Successful vaccination of the mother

It turned out that in 2012 440 newborns under three months of age had to be treated in hospital for pertussis, in 2013 it was 140 offspring. The number of children who succumbed to the infection also fell dramatically - from ten to two victims. Such a decline in the number of illnesses could not be observed in older children and adults.

Finally, in a random sample, the researchers looked at the vaccination status of the mothers of 82 newborns with whooping cough. Only six of them had been vaccinated during their pregnancy. The vaccination of the mothers offered the children about 90 percent protection.

Two effects responsible

According to the researchers, two effects are responsible for the effectiveness. On the one hand, an unborn child develops antibodies against the pathogen in the mother's body if the mother is vaccinated. On the other hand, the mother is also much less likely to develop whooping cough and can therefore not infect the child.

In Germany, around 130 out of 100,000 people are infected with whooping cough every year. Most - around 92 percent - are already adults when infected. Around 90 percent of school-age children are vaccinated against pertussis, but many forget the necessary booster vaccinations. (jb)

Source: Amirthlingam G. et al: “Effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination in England: an observational study”, The Lancet. 05/11/2014

Tags:  symptoms first aid Baby Child