Poor immune responses to a birth dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine

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Natasha B Halasa1, Alice O'Shea, Jian R Shi

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|June 7, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Administering an additional diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine dose at birth is safe. However, it led to a reduced immune response to diphtheria and pertussis antigens compared to controls.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Vaccinology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine is crucial for preventing serious childhood diseases.
  • Evaluating early vaccination schedules is essential for optimizing infant immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the safety and immunogenicity of an additional DTaP vaccine dose administered at birth.
  • To compare immune responses in infants receiving DTaP at birth versus a control group.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized trial involving 50 infants aged 2-14 days, receiving either DTaP + hepatitis B or hepatitis B vaccine alone at birth.
  • Subsequent DTaP and routine vaccinations were given at 2, 4, 6, and 17 months.
  • Safety monitoring and serological assessments at multiple time points (birth, 6, 7, 17, 18 months) were performed.

Main Results:

  • The DTaP birth dose was well-tolerated, with no significant differences in local or systemic reactions between groups.
  • Infants receiving the DTaP birth dose showed significantly lower antibody concentrations against diphtheria and three pertussis antigens (pertussis toxin, pertactin, fimbriae) at specific time points.
  • Comparable immune responses were observed for other vaccine antigens.

Conclusions:

  • An additional DTaP vaccine dose at birth is safe for infants.
  • This early DTaP dose may attenuate the immune response to diphtheria and key pertussis components, warranting further investigation.
Abstract

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