Pertussis is a highly contagious disease of the respiratory tract which is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and is most severe in those <1 year of age. A vaccine against pertussis, introduced in the 1950's, led to a significant decrease in incidence of the disease, but recent increases in outbreaks have been attributed to insufficient vaccine uptake, suboptimal protection conferred by vaccines, and waning immunity after immunization. Areas covered: In this review we discuss the major challenges for controlling pertussis, and what we believe the best strategies are to overcome these challenges, focusing on immunization against pertussis in Europe, but with recommendations that are relevant worldwide. Expert commentary: To provide maximum vaccine coverage we propose a schedule that incorporates immunization of infants, preschoolers, adolescents, adults, and pregnant women. Uptake of vaccines may also vary between populations due to a variety of causes, including hesitancy to vaccinate, so any national strategy to control pertussis should also include sustaining public and healthcare provider confidence in vaccination. Addressing and improving regional variations in surveillance will also help better monitor annual incidence and outbreaks. Looking towards the future, the development of new pertussis vaccines with longer duration of protection would be advantageous.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2018.1445530 | DOI Listing |
BMJ Glob Health
January 2025
African Vaccinology Network, Buea, Cameroon.
Introduction: Gross domestic product (GDP) has been shown to affect government spending on various budget heads including healthcare and the purchase and distribution of vaccines. This vulnerable situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted and exposed the fragile nature of equitable access to vaccines for childhood immunisation globally. A systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association of country income status and GDP with vaccination coverage of vaccines for childhood immunisation and other major infectious diseases around the globe will inform global and national policy on equity in living standards and vaccine uptake.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi
January 2025
Department of Infectious Disease,Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center (Shanghai), Shanghai 200032, China.
Pertussis is an important public health and clinical issue in China currently. Macrolide resistance in is a serious challenge to prevent and manage pertussis in China. Early, timely and effective antimicrobial therapy plays an important role in alleviating disease, reducing complications and severe diseases, eliminating carriers and reducing secondary transmission, and implementing post-exposure chemoprophylaxis in special scenarios is also necessary to protect individuals at high risk of severe diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Bacterial sRNAs together with the RNA chaperone Hfq post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by affecting ribosome binding or mRNA stability. In the human pathogen , the causative agent of whooping cough, hundreds of sRNAs have been identified, but their roles in biology are mostly unknown. Here we characterize a Hfq-dependent sRNA (S17), whose level is dramatically higher in the virulence (Bvg ) mode.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiovasc Diagn Ther
December 2024
Department of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, German Heart Center Munich, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Background: Patients with congenital heart defects (CHDs) are at higher risk for infectious diseases. This may partly be due to frequent hospital stays and the associated exposure to pathogens. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of immunisation coverage among twins in which at least one twin has CHD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Infect
January 2025
Bandim Health Project, Research Unit OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Objectives: To investigate if receipt of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine following the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP3) is associated with reduced rates of non-targeted infectious disease hospitalisations.
Methods: Register based cohort study following 1,397,027 children born in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden until 2 years of age. Rates of infectious disease hospitalisations with minimum one overnight stay according to time-varying vaccination status were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis with age as the underlying timescale and including multiple covariates.
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