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Safety and immunogenicity of an acellular pertussis vaccine in premature infants

R L Schloesser1, D Fischer, W Otto

  • 1Children's University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany. rschloesser@zki.uni-frankfurt.de

Pediatrics
|May 1, 1999
PubMed

Insights

A two-component acellular pertussis vaccine is safe for preterm infants. While antibody response is lower than in term infants, immunization efficacy remains high, demonstrating its value in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Vaccinology
  • Neonatal Immunology

Background:

  • Preterm infants are at increased risk of pertussis due to immature immune systems.
  • Acellular pertussis vaccines are standard for infant immunization, but data in preterm infants is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the safety and immunogenicity of a two-component acellular pertussis vaccine in preterm infants.
  • To compare the immune response in preterm infants to that of healthy term infants.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty preterm infants (25-35 weeks gestation) and 50 term infants received a three-dose acellular pertussis vaccine regimen.
  • Adverse reactions were monitored via parental diaries.
  • Antibody titers against pertussis toxoid (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) were measured by ELISA pre- and post-vaccination.

Main Results:

  • Both groups showed increased antibody titers post-vaccination.
  • Preterm infants had significantly lower geometric mean titers (GMT) for PT (64.16 U/L) and FHA (50.92 U/L) compared to term infants (PT: 98.96 U/L, FHA: 86.02 U/L).
  • Immunization efficacy was high: 93.5% for PT and 82.6% for FHA in preterm infants. Adverse reactions were low and similar between groups.

Conclusions:

  • The two-component acellular pertussis vaccine is safe for preterm infants.
  • While the immune response is diminished compared to term infants, the vaccine achieves high efficacy.
  • This vaccine is a viable option for protecting preterm infants against pertussis.
Abstract

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