global-women-health-2019-accepted-abstracts

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April 15-16, 2019 | Milan, Italy

OF EXCELLENCE

IN INTERNATIONAL

MEETINGS

YEARS

GlobalWomen Health 2019

Research and Reports in Gynecology and Obstetrics | ISSN: 2591-7366 | Volume 3

BREAST CANCER,

GYNECOLOGY ANDWOMEN HEALTH

World Congress on

PERTUSSIS VACCINATION IN PREGNANT WOMEN: PROBLEMS AND PERSPEC-

TIVES

Alberto Donzelli

Foundation Allineare Sanità e Salute, Italy

ertussis vaccination has given an important contribution in reducing the incidence of the disease; however

pertussis reawakens internationally, even in highly vaccinated population groups. This resurgence seems

to be attributable to various reasons: Non-optimal efficacy of the vaccine; Rapid decay of protective antibody

titers in part of the population and above all; Their inadequacy in preventing also vaccinated subjects from

infections and transmission of the pathogen; Selective pressure of extensive vaccination with emergence of

mutated resistant strains; Substantial impossibility of obtaining a herd effect with the vaccines available today.

This work analyzes the state of scientific knowledge and illustrates some topics that may challenge prevention

in more vulnerable infants, based on the so called cocoon strategy or on the vaccination of pregnant moth-

ers, with a pertussis or a multicomponent vaccine. Public health strategies must be rethought, considering

also different solutions that aim to fight the disease, particularly in this population at greater risk, in a more

targeted and potentially effective way. The cocoon strategy leaves many problems open and does not seem

effective. The currently recommended strategy is a universal vaccination of pregnant mothers, but the protec-

tion of the offspring seems modest, and adverse effects for the women and the offspring cannot yet be ruled

out. Among the alternatives, public health services could also consider the experimentation of solutions less

interfering with the bacterial ecology, that only aim at avoiding major damage to subgroups at greater risk;

integrated with initiatives to improve surveillance systems, microbiological diagnosis/timely treatment and

lifestyle-based prevention.

Res Rep Gynaecol Obstet 2019, Volume 3 | DOI: 10.4066/2591-7366-C2-006