Cases of whooping cough are increasing. Between 2000 and 2010, 2.5 cases were reported per 100,000 inhabitants and in 2011 the figure increased to 7.11 cases per 100,000 (3,281 cases in total). In order to curb the increase in cases and protect newborns is being studied vaccinate all pregnant women from whooping cough.
Already in some health centers, since the trivalent souvenir vaccine of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis can be administered between 4 and 6 years, and used to be put at six, the vaccine was advanced at 5, precisely to Protect children again.
Why vaccinate pregnant women?
Because in 2012 there were a total of 9,741 confirmed cases of pertussis in the United Kingdom and 12 nursing babies died from this disease.
Yes, it is true that it is a disease of which almost all of us are vaccinated. But nevertheless, protection is very limited in time and immunity is being lost.
For this reason, babies are given this vaccine on several occasions as infants, then at 4 to 6 years old and now they are also studying to do it at 11-12 years old, when one of tetanus and diphtheria was administered, but without Whooping cough
Given this situation, and seeing that the data was getting worse, they decided that it would be a good option to vaccinate the mother and the rest of the family, to avoid being able to spread the newborn child. And since they vaccinated the mother, Why not do it during pregnancy?
Studies done on this (you have information about it here) show the differences between vaccinating pregnant women and doing it in the postpartum period. Even the differences between vaccinating pregnant women and doing so once they have given birth, also vaccinating the father and also vaccinating the grandparents.
When women are vaccinated during pregnancy it has been observed that cases of whooping cough decrease by up to 33%, hospitalizations up to 38% and deaths up to 39%. The cost of this in the United Kingdom is estimated at 171 million euros.
If women are vaccinated after childbirth, cases decrease by 20%, hospitalizations by 18% and deaths by 16%. The cost is the same, since the same women are vaccinated, but after giving birth: 171 million euros.
As one of the strategies to prevent the spread of a baby is to vaccinate people around him, it has also been calculated what would happen if in addition to vaccinating the mother after childbirth the father is vaccinated. Cases decrease by 29%, hospitalizations by 28% and deaths by 25%. The cost for this strategy is 342 million euros.
If in addition to vaccinating the mother and father after childbirth Grandparents are vaccinated cases decrease by 32%, hospitalizations by 32% and deaths by 29%, for an expenditure of 513 million euros.
It is clear that the best strategy is to vaccinate pregnant women, because it is how more the cases and complications due to the disease decrease. In addition, it is the most economical option. Obviously, to improve the figures, vaccination of the father and grandparents could be added.
But is it a safe vaccine?
Yes, It is a safe vaccine for pregnant women, it is for the baby that is being formed and is effective because the passage of transplacental antibodies from the mother to the baby occurs.
When should a woman get vaccinated?
The vaccine can be given to every pregnant woman after 28 weeks of gestation, and until week 38. The recommendation is to have the vaccination between week 28 and 32, since it is from that moment (week 32) when the placenta begins to pass antibodies to the baby.
What happened in the UK?
Well, since they started vaccinating pregnant women cases have been decreasing. In October 2012 there were more than 1600 cases of pertussis. In January 2013, already with the vaccine, 668 cases were declared, of which 9 were infants under 3 months. A year earlier, in January 2012, there were 22 cases declared in infants under 3 months. And this reduction occurred with a vaccination of 60% of pregnant women, which are the ones that had agreed to get vaccinated. If more women had been vaccinated, the reduction would have been even greater.
In Catalonia, soon
In Catalonia, cases of pertussis they multiplied fivefold between 2007 and 2010, being currently one of the communities with more cases. It is commented that these data could be due to better technology when it comes to finding the causative pathogen and to a greater awareness of health personnel. In any case, the numbers are there and, given the good results obtained with vaccination in the United Kingdom and the United States, it has been decided to start a similar program.
It is planned to vaccinate 35,000 future mothers between weeks 27 and 36 of gestation, since although this vaccine in pregnant women is not part of the state vaccine schedule, communities can take individual measures depending on the incidence of whooping cough.
Most likely, over time the rest of the communities will join the initiative and in the end all Spain vaccinate the pregnant women. Given the positive results, they should not take long to do the same.
