TY - JOUR
T1 - A Sensitive Public Health Issue—The Vaccine Acceptancy and the Anti-Pertussis Immune Status of Pregnant Women from a Romanian Metropolitan Area
AU - Herdea, Valeria
AU - Tarciuc, Petruta
AU - Ghionaru, Raluca
AU - Pana, Bogdan
AU - Chirila, Sergiu
AU - Varga, Andreea
AU - Mărginean, Cristina Oana
AU - Diaconescu, Smaranda
AU - Leibovitz, Eugene
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/4/1
Y1 - 2023/4/1
N2 - (1) Background: Immunization of pregnant women (PWs) against Bordetella pertussis infection is still a challenging health matter. (2) Methods: We gathered questionnaire data from 180 PWs regarding their expectancies and current opinion on infectious disease prevention. For the group of PWs who agreed to further investigations, the serum levels of Ig G anti-B. pertussis antibodies (IgG-PT) titer were measured and analyzed. (3) Results: A total of 180 PWs completed the questionnaire and 98 (54.44%, study group) accepted to perform the laboratory tests. During the first two pregnancy trimesters, PWs were found to be more willing (compared with the control group) to test for identifying high-risk situations that could affect themselves and their future infant (p < 0.001). Most of the participating PWs (91, 91.9%) had low levels of anti-pertussis antibodies (values < 40 IU/mL). Declared vaccine coverage of the PWs newborn infants for DTaP-1 and Prevenar 13 (at 2 months) and DTaP-2 and Prevenar 13 (at 4 months) vaccination reached 100% in the study group, while in the control group only 30/82 (36.59%) PWs accepted to be vaccinated during pregnancy, none of them providing data on their infants’ vaccine coverage. (4) Conclusions: Enrolled PWs faced a waning immunity against the B. pertussis infection. By raising maternal confidence in the protective role of vaccines against infectious diseases, better vaccine acceptance and better infant vaccine coverage can be achieved.
AB - (1) Background: Immunization of pregnant women (PWs) against Bordetella pertussis infection is still a challenging health matter. (2) Methods: We gathered questionnaire data from 180 PWs regarding their expectancies and current opinion on infectious disease prevention. For the group of PWs who agreed to further investigations, the serum levels of Ig G anti-B. pertussis antibodies (IgG-PT) titer were measured and analyzed. (3) Results: A total of 180 PWs completed the questionnaire and 98 (54.44%, study group) accepted to perform the laboratory tests. During the first two pregnancy trimesters, PWs were found to be more willing (compared with the control group) to test for identifying high-risk situations that could affect themselves and their future infant (p < 0.001). Most of the participating PWs (91, 91.9%) had low levels of anti-pertussis antibodies (values < 40 IU/mL). Declared vaccine coverage of the PWs newborn infants for DTaP-1 and Prevenar 13 (at 2 months) and DTaP-2 and Prevenar 13 (at 4 months) vaccination reached 100% in the study group, while in the control group only 30/82 (36.59%) PWs accepted to be vaccinated during pregnancy, none of them providing data on their infants’ vaccine coverage. (4) Conclusions: Enrolled PWs faced a waning immunity against the B. pertussis infection. By raising maternal confidence in the protective role of vaccines against infectious diseases, better vaccine acceptance and better infant vaccine coverage can be achieved.
KW - Tdap
KW - early preventive health education
KW - pertussis immunization
KW - pregnancy
KW - pregnant women
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153788691&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/children10040640
DO - 10.3390/children10040640
M3 - Article
C2 - 37189889
AN - SCOPUS:85153788691
SN - 2227-9067
VL - 10
JO - Children
JF - Children
IS - 4
M1 - 640
ER -