Author Interviews, CDC, Pediatrics, Vaccine Studies / 07.05.2015
Timely Pertussis Vaccination Important For Preventing Infant Deaths
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Tejpratap S.P. Tiwari, MD
Meningitis and Bacterial Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch
Division of Bacterial Diseases
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Atlanta, Georgia
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Tiwari: Infants younger than one year old in the United States are at highest risk for severe outcomes from pertussis and death. The first childhood pertussis vaccine dose is recommended at 2 months old, with additional doses in the first year of life at 4 and 6 months. Studies have established that pertussis vaccines can protect against pertussis disease, complications, and hospitalization in infants when 1 to 3 doses are administered by six months old. This study’s findings suggest that the first pertussis vaccine dose and appropriate antibiotic treatment protect infants against death, hospitalization, and pneumonia. Improved on-time infant vaccination (at 2, 4, and 6 months) could potentially prevent up to 1 out of every 4 infant pertussis deaths.
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