Tdap vaccine given during pregnancy reduces occurrence of infant pertussis

Health Problems

A study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows the effectiveness of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine for infants whose mothers receive the vaccine during pregnancy. The “Effectiveness of Prenatal Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis Vaccination in the Prevention of Infant Pertussis in the U.S.” study led by Sylvia Becker-Dreps, MD, MPH, associate professor in the […]

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Flu vaccine protects pregnant women against pertussis

Health Problems

Research by Wits scientists shows that pregnant women vaccinated against influenza also have less pertussis infection. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Wits researchers at the MRC Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (RMPRU) published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, which shows that pregnant […]

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