[Effect of pertussis vaccine in pregnancy and COVID-19 pandemic in the cases of wooping cough]

Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2022 Nov;40(9):499-502. doi: 10.1016/j.eimc.2021.07.007. Epub 2021 Jul 27.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Background: Whooping cough has had an increased incidence and severity specially in infants and maternal immunization has been implemented as a prevention strategy. COVID-19 pandemic seems to decrease the incidence of other respiratory diseases.

Methods: Retrospective study from 2012 to 2021 to assess the influence of pertussis maternal immunizations and the first year of COVID-19 pandemic in the cases of whooping cough.

Results: 960 suspected cases from primary care and hospital, with 130 cases (104 children and 26 adults) being diagnosed of whooping cough. In the post-vaccination period, a reduction in the cases and severity in infants up to 6 months old was observed as well as in the pertussis diagnosis in adult women. There were no whooping cough cases during the COVID-19 period.

Conclusions: Both the pertussis vaccination in pregnancy and the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic have decreased the number of pertussis cases.

Introducción: La tosferina ha aumentado su incidencia y severidad especialmente en lactantes, por lo que la vacunación de la embarazada se ha introducido como estrategia preventiva. La pandemia de la COVID-19 parece haber disminuido la incidencia de distintas enfermedades respiratorias.

Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo entre 2012-2021, analizando la influencia de la vacunación de la embarazada y del primer año de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en los casos de tosferina.

Resultados: Se incluyeron 960 pacientes de atención primaria y hospitalaria con sospecha de tosferina, con 130 casos diagnosticados (104 niños y 26 adultos). En el periodo posvacunal, se observó una disminución de casos y de severidad de la tosferina en niños menores de 6 meses y de los diagnósticos en mujeres adultas. No se detectó ningún paciente con tosferina durante el periodo de la COVID-19.

Conclusión: Tanto la vacunación de la embarazada como el primer año de la pandemia de la COVID-19 han disminuido significativamente los casos de tosferina.

Keywords: Adults; COVID-19; Children; Maternal immunization; Whooping cough.

Publication types

  • English Abstract