Doses Of Pertussis Vaccine Research Articles

Causes and consequences of delayed vaccination against pertussis infection in the Russian Federation

Introduction. One of the reasons for the increase of pertussis in the Russian Federation on the background of the widespread coverage of prophylactic vaccinations of more than 95% is a large number of unreasonable medical recusals and parental refusals and, as a result, untimely prophylactic vaccinations against pertussis infection.Materials and methods. We analyzed 5101 emergency notifications for pertussis in children under 17 years of age in Moscow in 2012-2017 and 300 child development histories for children under 14 years of age in two clinics in Moscow. A сase-сontrol study was conducted to assess the relationship between pertussis and the presence of deviations in the immunization schedule.Results. It was found that the level of timely immunization against pertussis did not exceed 5%. Medical (20%) and parental refusals (45%) prevail among the reasons for delayed vaccination. In the structure of medical exemption, the main causes are perinatal encephalopathy, congenital heart defects, intestinal dysbiosis, allergic diseases, anemia and some chronic diseases.Discussion. The main principle for the formation of a full protective immunity from pertussis infection is the mandatory administration of a full primary course of vaccination against pertussis, with the completion of three vaccinations at the age of 10-12 months and mandatory control over the timely receipt of a booster dose no later than the child reaches two years of age. In addition, it is necessary to introduce additional booster doses of pertussis vaccine at the age of 6-7 years, 12-14 years, vaccination of adults every 10 years, as well as consider the introduction of vaccination of expectant mothers in each pregnancy at 27-36 weeks, vaccination for medical personnel and employees who provide child care services.

Brand-specific rates of pertussis disease among Wisconsin children given 1–4 doses of pertussis Vaccine, 2010–2014

BackgroundAcellular pertussis vaccines were initially licensed based on placebo-controlled efficacy trials, but such trials are no longer ethical. The effectiveness of current pertussis vaccines among properly vaccinated children <5 years is so high that a randomized trial is infeasible. Fluctuations in pertussis incidence and characteristics of the US vaccine marketplace make selection of suitable controls for a case-control study problematic. To satisfy an FDA requirement to evaluate rates of pertussis following licensure of Pentacel® vaccine, we used a case-cohort study design with a novel method for characterizing the cohort population. MethodsThis prospective, observational study was conducted in Wisconsin from 2010 to 2014 among Wisconsin residents <60 months of age who received ≤four doses of pertussis vaccine (surveillance population). Cases were identified by the Wisconsin Division of Public Health. Characteristics and pertussis vaccinations of the surveillance population were estimated by ongoing random telephonic survey. The primary objective was to determine rates of pertussis disease among those who received only Pentacel vaccine (Group 1) vs those who received a single brand of vaccine other than Pentacel vaccine (Group 2). Results1195 pertussis cases were identified. It was estimated that the surveillance population accrued a total of 1,133,403 person-years (Group 1, 39%; Group 2, 41%; Group 3 [those not in Group 1 or Group 2], 20%). Pertussis rates were similar in Group 1 (98.9/100,000) and Group 2 (96.2/100,000); rate ratios were 1.03 (unadjusted; 90% CI, 0.92–1.15) and 0.99 (adjusted; 90% CI, 0.89–1.12). Persons with one or more delayed vaccinations had a 66% higher risk of pertussis (90% CI, 39–96%). DiscussionPertussis protection was not found to differ for recipients of the newly licensed vs other available pertussis vaccines. Delayed vaccination substantially increased risk of pertussis. Sample survey methodology was able to characterize the study cohort and enable an otherwise-infeasible study.Clinical Trial Registry number: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01129362.

Impact of state weights on national vaccination coverage estimates from household surveys in Nigeria

National vaccination coverage estimates from household surveys are widely used in monitoring and planning of immunization programs. In Nigeria, survey-reported national coverage estimates have shown large fluctuations in the past few years. In this paper, we examine the impact of state-level survey weighting on Nigeria’s national vaccination coverage estimation. In particular, we focus three vaccination-related outcomes among children aged 12–23 months: the coverage of the third dose of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccine (DPT3); the coverage of the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1); and the availability rate of home-based vaccination record (HBR). We compare the sample selection and weight assignment of three major survey programs in Nigeria, and show that considerable portions of the changes in survey-reported national coverage estimates can be explained by shifts in state-level weights. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of state weighting method in estimating aggregated national coverage figures and provides important context for interpreting changes in coverage estimates between surveys in the future.

ADVANCE system testing: Estimating the incidence of adverse events following pertussis vaccination in healthcare databases with incomplete exposure data

The Accelerated Development of VAccine beNefit-risk Collaboration in Europe (ADVANCE) is a public–private collaboration aiming to develop and test a system for rapid vaccine benefit-risk monitoring using existing European healthcare databases. Incidence rate (IR) estimates of vaccination-associated adverse events that are needed to model vaccination risks can be calculated from existing healthcare databases when vaccination (exposure) data are available. We assessed different methods to derive IRs in risk periods following vaccination when exposure data are missing in one database, using estimated IRs and IRRs from other databases for febrile seizures, fever and persistent crying. IRs were estimated for children aged 0–5 years in outcome-specific risk and non-risk periods following the first dose of acellular pertussis (aP) vaccination in four primary care databases and one hospital database. We compared derived and observed IRs in each database using three methods: 1) multiplication of non-risk period IR for database i by IR ratio (IRR) obtained from meta-analysis of IRRs estimated using the self-controlled case-series method, from databases other than i; 2) same method as 1, but multiplying with background IR; and 3) meta-analyses of observed IRs from databases other than i. IRs for febrile seizures were lower in primary care databases than the hospital database. The derived IR for febrile seizures using data from primary care databases was lower than that observed in the hospital database, and using data from the hospital database gave a higher derived IR than that observed in the primary care database. For fever and persistent crying the opposite was observed. We demonstrated that missing IRs for a post-vaccination period can be derived but that the type of database and the method of event data capture can have an impact on potential bias. We recommend IRs are derived using data from similar database types (hospital or primary care) with caution as even this can give heterogeneous results.

Using the North Dakota IIS to Assess the Response of Health Care Providers to the ACIP Recommendation for Tdap Vaccination During Pregnancy.

To evaluate the response of North Dakota health care providers to follow the recommendation set forth by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to administer a dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine to women during each pregnancy using the North Dakota Immunization Information System (NDIIS). Data from the NDIIS for North Dakota infants born during calendar years 2013-2018 were extracted. Mother's name was taken from the newborn records and matched to NDIIS female client records to identify the population of mothers of newborns who would have been recommended to receive Tdap during their pregnancy. Doses of Tdap vaccine administered after October 1, 2012, were extracted from the NDIIS, and the dose records were matched back to the mother's record. The time from baby's birthdate back to the doses of Tdap vaccine administered to the mother was measured to find any doses that would have been administered during pregnancy. The percentage of women receiving Tdap vaccine during pregnancy increased from 31.5% in 2013 to 60.6% in 2018. Of those women who received Tdap during pregnancy, 94% received the vaccine during the ACIP-recommended interval of 27 to 36 weeks' gestation, using the assumption that all babies were born at 40 weeks' gestation. North Dakota health care providers have responded positively to the recommendation of the ACIP to administer a dose of Tdap vaccine to women during each pregnancy and have increased their administration of the vaccine to their patients.

Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibodies and anti-pertussis antibody response after a single dose of reduced-antigen combined diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) in pregnant Thai women

BackgroundMaternal immunization with tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) has recently been implemented to prevent infant pertussis. Tdap is still not routinely recommended in Thailand, and there are limited data to support or challenge this strategy. ObjectivesThe primary aim was to determine the seroprevalence of anti-pertussis toxin antibodies (anti-PT IgG) among pregnant Thai women. The secondary aims were to evaluate antibodies response after Tdap vaccination between seronegative and seropositive mothers and to compare the different antibody titers at delivery among seropositive mothers who received Tdap to those who received tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (Td). MethodsThis randomized clinical trial was conducted during April 2018 to April 2019 at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 129 pregnant women were included. Paired blood samples for anti-PT IgG levels were obtained during the first antenatal visit and at delivery. A baseline cut-off value of <5 IU/ml indicated seronegativity. There were 29 exclusions from the original 129 enrollment. All seronegative participants (n = 69) received Tdap, while the seropositive group were randomized 1:1 to receive either Tdap (n = 18) or Td (n = 13) during 27–36 weeks’ gestation. The antibody levels from both sera were compared between groups. ResultsThe seroprevalence of maternal anti-PT IgG was 33.3% (43/129). There was no significant difference in the increment of antibody levels after Tdap vaccination between the seronegative and seropositive groups (30.2 vs. 42 IU/ml; p = 0.183). Among seropositive groups, all Tdap recipients had increased antibody titers at delivery, while all Td recipients showed waning of immunity throughout gestation. (42 IU/ml vs. −7.4 IU/ml; p < 0.001). ConclusionMost pregnant Thai women have seronegative against pertussis. Most seropositive mothers had initial low antibody titers and their immunity significantly decreased before delivery. Our findings highlight the need for universal pertussis immunization in pregnancy regardless of individual baseline immunity.

Women, children and adolescents in conflict countries: an assessment of inequalities in intervention coverage and survival

IntroductionConflict adversely impacts health and health systems, yet its effect on health inequalities, particularly for women and children, has not been systematically studied. We examined wealth, education and urban/rural residence...

Economic and immunisation safety surveillance characteristics of countries implementing no-fault compensation programmes for vaccine injuries

Improvements in vaccine safety surveillance and investigative capacity lead to identification of rare reactions attributable to vaccination. As a result, the issue of fair compensation for those who experience vaccine injuries is gaining growing attention. Although vaccine injury compensation programmes (VICP) have been developed in a few countries for more than 50 years, no global policy guidance to guide vaccine injury compensation in all countries wishing to adopt such compensation schemes is currently available. To update the landscape analysis of no-fault compensation programmes and characterize VICP implementing countries, we conducted a survey of all 194 Member States from the World Health Organization and received feedback from 151. This analysis describes the economic and vaccine safety surveillance characteristics of Member States implementing VICPs. This analysis describes the characteristics of 25 Member States implementing a compensation programmes. Characteristics examined include economic, vaccination and safety surveillance indicators. Twenty of the 25 Member States (80%) with compensation programmes are categorized as high-income countries, 20/25 (80%) met the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) safety indicator of reporting at least ten annual reports of adverse events following immunization per 100,000 population, 21/25 (84%) met the GVAP coverage indicator by achieving greater than 90% third dose of Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine (DTP3) and 17/25 (68%) assessed vaccine hesitancy in 2017. All Member States with VICP have a national immunization technical advisory group. This study identified growing interest in the implementation of no-fault compensation programs beyond high-income countries. Global policies guiding compensation should be developed for countries regardless of the maturity of their immunization programmes. Research in contextAs a result of improved vaccine safety surveillance, World Health Organization (WHO) Member States are facing situations where known untoward serious vaccine reactions are documented, including in low- and middle-income settings. This has led to increased interest for the development of national no-fault compensation policies for vaccine injuries. As of 2010, compensation schemes for vaccine related injuries had been identified and characterized in 19 out of 194 WHO member states. All these programmes were in the industrialized world with none in low- and middle-income countries. Previous reviews have described the characteristics of the existing programmes based on the six common elements identified by Evans in 1999 with less emphasis on characteristics from countries implementing these no-fault compensation programmes.This manuscript aimed to identify predictors of countries implementing no-fault compensation programmes for vaccine injuries and update the inventory of existing programmes as part of a more comprehensive global landscape evaluation of existing programmes. This information will be useful for country self-evaluation and future compensation policy formulation as discussion to develop policies guiding the implementation of vaccine injury compensation continues to gain growing attention.

Acellular pertussis vaccine effectiveness and waning immunity in Alberta, Canada: 2010–2015, a Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) study

BackgroundPertussis is still frequently reported in Canada. In Alberta, pertussis incidence ranged from 1.8 to 20.5 cases per 100,000 persons for 2004–2015. Most cases occurred in those aged <15 years. In Alberta, acellular formulations replaced whole-cell in 1997. We investigated pertussis vaccine effectiveness (VE) using a test-negative design (TND) study. MethodsWe included all persons who had a real-time PCR laboratory test for Bordetella pertussis between January 1, 2010 and August 31, 2015, in the province of Alberta, Canada. Vaccination history was obtained from Alberta’s immunization repository. Vaccination status was classified as complete, incomplete, or unvaccinated, based on the province’s vaccination schedule. Persons who had received ≥one dose of whole cell vaccine were excluded from analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for pertussis infection by time since last vaccination. We adjusted for vaccination status, age, sex, neighbourhood income, urban/rural status, and the presence of a co-morbid condition. VE was calculated as [(1 − aOR) * 100]. ResultsOf the 12,149 tests available, 936 (7.7%) were positive for Bordetella pertussis. Among the full cohort, VE was 90% (95% CI 87–92%) at 1 year, 81% (95% CI 77–85%) at 1–3 years, 76% (95% CI 68–82%) at 4–7 years, and 37% (95% CI 11–56%) at 8 or more years since a last dose of acellular pertussis vaccine. ConclusionsPertussis VE was highest in the first year after vaccination, then declined noticeably as years since a last vaccination increased. Our results suggest that a large number of adolescents and adults are susceptible to infection with Bordetella pertussis. Regular boosters throughout childhood, adolescence, and during pregnancy may be needed.

Seroepidemiology of pertussis in Hangzhou, China, during 2009–2017

ABSTRACTObjective: To delineate seroepidemiology of pertussis in Hangzhou, to evaluate the protection levels of pertussis among healthy populations, for improving prevention strategy of pertussis.Methods: During 2009–2017, a multistage stratified random sampling method was employed to select participants included via physical examination for subjects in several Community Health Centers in Hangzhou. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to detect Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against pertussis in serum samples. Results were compared among 11 age groups. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the associations among the rates of pertussis IgG seropositivity and the geometric mean concentration (GMC) levels of pertussis IgG and the related factors.Results: A total of 3360 subjects with available information were included, with 1745 male and 1615 female. Of these, 59.6% subjects had a clear immunization history of diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis vaccine (DTP). The vaccination rates of DTP had a declined trend with older age. The rate of pertussis IgG seropositivity was 69.9% (95% confidence interval: 68.3–71.5) and the GMC for pertussis IgG was 48.46 U/ml. Significantly higher seropositivity and GMC for pertussis IgG were found in subjects that had inoculation vaccine history or unknown history when compared those without inoculation of vaccine, lower in age groups <10, 20–29, and 30–39 y when compared to the other age groups evaluated.Conclusions: There are different distribution profiles both of the seropositivity and GMC for pertussis IgG for different age groups and immunization history of vaccine groups. In order to prevent pertussis occurrence, it is important to employ a booster dose of pertussis vaccine in adolescents and adults.

Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis toxin antibodies in children and adolescents in Tunis, Tunisia.

Pertussis remains a public health concern in most countries. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the distribution of pertussis toxin antibodies (anti-PT IgG) in Tunisian children and adolescents aged 3-18 years, to define optimal age for booster vaccination. Anti-PT IgG concentrations of enrolled participants were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Concentrations were classified as: indicative of current/recent infection if ⩾100 IU/ml, indicative of recent exposure to Bordetella pertussis within the last year if 40-100 IU/ml and less likely revealing a recent exposure to B. pertussis if &lt;40 IU/ml. Between March and June 2018, a total of 304 participants (mean age: 9.3 years) were included in this study. Overall, 12.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.1%-16.6%) were seropositive (IgG levels ⩾40 IU/ml). Among them, 14.7% (95% CI 2.3%-23.3%) had levels indicative of a current/recent infection. The multivariate Poisson regression analysis suggested associations between female gender, as well as age group 13-18 years and 3-5 years and higher anti-PT IgG concentrations. Our results are consistent with the notion that vaccine-induced immunity decline, as well as circulation of pertussis among school children and adolescents enables them to be reservoirs of infection and disease transmission to vulnerable infants. Booster dose of acellular pertussis vaccine for school entrants is therefore recommended.

Seroprevalence of pertussis among healthcare workers: A cross-sectional study from Tunisia

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess pertussis seroprevalence among healthy healthcare workers (HCW) of the Children’s Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia. During the study period, 236 blood samples were obtained to determine HCW exposure to pertussis. Concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) to pertussis toxin (PT) were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cut-offs values used were 40 and 100 IU/ml, respectively indicative of an infection within the last year and a current/recent infection. Overall, seropositivity rate was 11.4% (95% CI 7.4–15.5) and 2.5% (95% CI 0.5–4.6) of ELISA results were indicative of a current infection. Seroprevalence was significantly most important in nurses (p = 0.03) and in participants aged 21–31y (p = 0.009). Our study confirmed that pertussis is circulating in hospital settings and affecting Tunisian HCW, in close contact with infants. Therefore, a booster dose of acellular pertussis vaccine needs to be considered.

A cross-sectional study of Bordetella pertussis seroprevalence and estimated duration of vaccine protection against pertussis in St. Petersburg, Russia

BackgroundIn Russia as in other countries introduction of infant vaccination against pertussis in 1950s led to dramatic decrease of whooping cough. The current vaccination schedule includes a 3-dose infant series and toddler booster; the pre-school booster was cancelled in 1980s and never reintroduced. Whole-cell vaccines, and in a smaller proportion acellular vaccines are used for all doses. However, pertussis incidence in urban settings is high with highest burden in school children. We conducted a study of seroprevalence of recent pertussis infection to estimate the duration of protection from the 4-dose series. Materials and methodsSera sample from 395 St Petersburg children aged ≥3 years and <14 years were tested for pertussis toxin antibodies using a commercial PT ELISA test. Only children with completed 4-dose vaccination course were included in the study. Age-specific seroprevalence of recent pertussis infection was analyzed for trends. ResultsChildren fully vaccinated against pertussis at 3 years old had significant delays in infant vaccination schedule: only 83.5% received at least one dose of pertussis vaccine at 6 months of age and 25.6% received their toddler booster before 24 months-old. Overall, 10.6% of children demonstrated the serological signs of the infection in the last 12 months. A clear trend (r2 = 0.692) of increasing proportion of infection in the last 12 months was observed in children who had received their last dose of vaccine 6 years and more prior to the study. ConclusionOur study demonstrates that Russian children become susceptible to infection at or soon after entering school. The results confirm the waning of vaccine-elicited immunity around school-age and support the need for a booster dose at that age.

No increased sensitization from early vaccination of infants: a prospective study of infant vaccination in anthroposophical families

No increased sensitization from early vaccination of infants: a prospective study of infant vaccination in anthroposophical families

Age-appropriate compliance and completion of up to five doses of pertussis vaccine in US children

ABSTRACTBackground: In the United States (US), diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccination is recommended at 2, 4, and 6 months (doses 1–3), 15–18 months (dose 4), and 4–6 years (dose 5). The objective of this study (GSK study identifier: HO-14–14383) was to examine DTaP completion and compliance rates among commercially insured and Medicaid-enrolled children. Secondarily, the study aimed at identifying predictors of compliance/completion.Methods: Truven Health MarketScan Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid databases (2005–2013) were analyzed separately. Children born during 2005–2011 with ≥ 2 years continuous enrollment from birth provided data for doses 1–4; those with continuous enrollment from birth to their seventh birthday provided dose 5 data. Series compliance (each recommended dose by 3, 5, and 7 months; 19 months; seventh birthday) and completion (3 doses by 8 months; 4 by 24 months; 5 by seventh birthday) were calculated. Predictors of compliance/completion were identified using multivariable logistic regression.Results: A total of 367,493 commercially insured and 766,153 Medicaid-enrolled children were followed for ≥ 2 years; and 23,574 and 41,284, respectively, for ≥ 7 years. Series compliance to doses 1–3, 1–4, and 1–5 were 67.2%, 55.3%, 47.5% (commercial) and 37.4%, 27.3%, 14.4% (Medicaid), respectively. Predictors of better compliance/completion included: later birth year (commercial/Medicaid) and higher household income (commercial); predictors of worse compliance/completion included: Northeast residence (commercial), birth hospitalization ≥ 14 days (commercial/Medicaid), and Black race/ethnicity (Medicaid).Conclusions: DTaP series compliance/completion improved over time, but appear to be suboptimal. As this could increase pertussis risk, greater awareness of the importance of timely vaccination completion is needed.GSK study identifier: HO-14–14383

Acellular pertussis vaccines effectiveness over time: A systematic review, meta-analysis and modeling study.

BackgroundAcellular pertussis vaccine studies postulate that waning protection, particularly after the adolescent booster, is a major contributor to the increasing US pertussis incidence. However, these studies reported relative (ie, vs a population given prior doses of pertussis vaccine), not absolute (ie, vs a pertussis vaccine naïve population) efficacy following the adolescent booster. We aim to estimate the absolute protection offered by acellular pertussis vaccines.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review of acellular pertussis vaccine effectiveness (VE) publications. Studies had to comply with the US schedule, evaluate clinical outcomes, and report VE over discrete time points. VE after the 5-dose childhood series and after the adolescent sixth-dose booster were extracted separately and pooled. All relative VE estimates were transformed to absolute estimates. VE waning was estimated using meta-regression modeling.FindingsThree studies reported VE after the childhood series and four after the adolescent booster. All booster studies reported relative VE (vs acellular pertussis vaccine-primed population). We estimate initial childhood series absolute VE is 91% (95% CI: 87% to 95%) and declines at 9.6% annually. Initial relative VE after adolescent boosting is 70% (95% CI: 54% to 86%) and declines at 45.3% annually. Initial absolute VE after adolescent boosting is 85% (95% CI: 84% to 86%) and declines at 11.7% (95% CI: 11.1% to 12.3%) annually.InterpretationAcellular pertussis vaccine efficacy is initially high and wanes over time. Observational VE studies of boosting failed to recognize that they were measuring relative, not absolute, VE and the absolute VE in the boosted population is better than appreciated.

Prospective multinational serosurveillance study of Bordetella pertussis infection among 10- to 18-year-old Asian children and adolescents

ObjectivesBordetella pertussis continues to cause outbreaks worldwide. To assess the role of children and adolescent in transmission of pertussis in Asia, we performed a multinational serosurveillance study. MethodsFrom July 2013 to June 2016, individuals aged 10 to 18 years who had not received any pertussis-containing vaccine within the prior year were recruited in 10 centres in Asia. Serum anti–pertussis toxin (PT) IgG was measured by ELISA. Demographic data and medical histories were obtained. In the absence of pertussis immunization, anti-PT IgG ≥62.5 IU/mL was interpreted as B. pertussis infection within 12 months prior, among them levels ≥125 IU/mL were further identified as infection within 6 months. ResultsA total of 1802 individuals were enrolled. Anti-PT IgG geometric mean concentration was 4.5, and 87 (4.8%) individuals had levels ≥62.5 IU/mL; among them, 73 (83.9%) had received three or more doses of pertussis vaccine before age 6 years. Of 30 participants with persistent cough during the past 6 months, one (3.3%) had level ≥125 IU/mL. There was no significant difference in proportions with anti-PT IgG ≥62.5 IU/mL among age groups (13–15 vs. 10–12 years, 16–18 vs. 10–12 years), between types of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DTP; whole cell vs. acellular), number of doses before age 6 years within the DTP whole-cell pertussis vaccine (five vs. four doses) or acellular pertussis vaccine (five vs. four doses) and history of persistent cough during the past 6 months (yes vs. no). ConclusionsThere is significant circulation of B. pertussis amongst Asian children and adolescents, with one in 20 having serologic evidence of recent infection regardless of vaccination background.

Socio-economic inequality of childhood routine immunization coverage in Nigeria: analysis of 2003 - 2013 Nigeria demographic and health survey data

Introduction : immunization coverage for Nigeria is still below the 90% target set in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Nigeria is one of the 3 countries that host about 50% of the world’s infants without the third dose of Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT-3) vaccination. Ensuring that routine immunization is equitably extended to all children irrespective of their socio-economic status is a key component of GVAP. We compared the socio-economic inequality of childhood routine immunization coverage in Nigeria from 2003 - 2013. Methods : we analysed data from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey for 2003, 2008 and 2013 for inequalities of DPT-3 coverage. We used concentration index (CI) to measure socio-economic inequalities at national and sub-national (geopolitical zones) levels. F-statistic was used to test for statistically significant difference in CI across groups at p Results : the CI for DPT-3 coverage in Nigeria was 0.398 in 2003, 0.528 in 2008 and 0.591 in 2013 (p Conclusion : there was an increase in socio-economic inequality of DPT-3 coverage in Nigeria from 2003 - 2013 in favor of those with higher socio-economic status. At the sub-national level, only the North-Eastern and North-Western zones showed an increase in socio-economic inequality of DPT-3 coverage from 2003 - 2013 in favour of those with higher socio-economic status. We recommend that targeted interventions should be introduced to reduce the inequality of immunization coverage in Nigeria particularly in the North-Eastern and North-Western zones of the country.

Protocol for Pertussis Immunisation and Food Allergy (PIFA): a case–control study of the association between pertussis vaccination in infancy and the risk of IgE-mediated food allergy among Australian children

IntroductionAtopic diseases, including food allergy, have become a predominant cause of chronic illness among children in developed countries. In Australia, a rise in hospitalisations among infants coded as anaphylaxis to...

A National Seroepidemiologic Survey of Pertussis Among School Children in Taiwan.

In 2009, a booster dose of acellular pertussis vaccine for children at or before entry to elementary school was added to the national immunization program in Taiwan, which includes pertussis vaccination at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age. In 2013, a study to assess the level of humoral immunity against pertussis in elementary and junior high school children and adolescents was conducted. A multistage stratified systematic sampling method was applied to randomly selected grade 1 to 9 school children for testing. Serum samples were tested for IgG antibodies to Bordetella pertussis using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The study collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, vaccination history, sibling number and disease history of pertussis. The study recruited 2782 school children from 58 schools around the country. By questionnaire, only 1% (28/2782) students had history of pertussis. The overall positivity rate of anti-B. pertussis IgG was 42.5%, and the rates were not different between the 5 geographical areas (range from 39.6% to 44.6%, P = 0.375). Age-stratified data showed that the positivity rates were 43.6-48.8% among grade 1-3 students, 26.6-28.7% in grade 4-5 students and increased progressively from 39.4% to 51.3% in grade 6-9 students. The overall positivity rate was significantly higher in the nonbooster group (46.4% versus 38.6%, P < 0.01). The prevalence of anti-B. pertussis antibody was 42.5% in grade 1-9 students under the current vaccination program in Taiwan. Antibody induced by the booster vaccination before entry of primary school waned rapidly in 3-4 years. Rapid waning of anti-B. pertussis antibody may explain the resurgence of whooping cough in recent decades. Additional booster doses should be considered in adolescents and adults.