Pertussis (whooping cough), caused by Bordetella pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory disease responsible for severe morbidity and about 4% mortality in young infants.
Vaccination against pertussis during pregnancy enables high titers of anti-pertussis antibodies to be transferred across the placenta to the fetus, protecting the child from birth until it receives its own vaccination. This is the only way to protect small children from dying from pertussis, and many countries recommend that pregnant women be vaccinated against pertussis in the second or third trimester.
Published in The International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the observational study “Transplacental Transfer of Maternal Antibodies Following Immunization with Recombinant Pertussis Vaccines During Pregnancy: Real-World Evidence” presents for the first time the serological results of vaccination against pertussis during pregnancy with recombinant pertussis protein (PT) vaccines produced by a genetically modified strain of B. pertussis.
A vaccine containing genetically detoxified PT (PTgen) preserves the conformation of the neutralizing epitopes of the toxin, unlike Tdap vaccines in which the pertussis toxin (PT) is chemically inactivated (PTchem), thereby altering the conformation of the proteins.
The results of the study in 500 women showed that vaccination during pregnancy with a recombinant pertussis vaccine was well tolerated and induced high placental transfer of pertussis antibodies to infants.
As the manufacturer of these vaccines, we are proud to have contributed to this public health breakthrough. This study reinforces our commitment to continue to innovate and develop cutting-edge vaccine solutions to meet the changing needs of global health. At BioNet, we are committed to providing safe and effective vaccines to protect the health of all generations.
Source: Transplacental transfer of maternal antibodies following immunization with recombinant pertussis vaccines during pregnancy: real-world evidence
International Journal of Infectious Diseases
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971224001152
