Pertussis antibody responses in infants born to mothers vaccinated at different time points in pregnancy.

The optimal timing of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy is debated, especially to maximise antibody concentrations in infants born preterm. This study investigated immunoglobulin G (IgG) in preterm infants at 5 and 12 months, whose mothers had received a pertussis-containing vaccine at different gestations or were unvaccinated. Results show that vaccination in the early-mid second trimester may result in increased FHA specific IgG concentrations in preterm infants at 5 and 12 months. The BEAR PAW study used residual serum samples from the BEAR Men B study (Babies born Early Antibody Response to Men B vaccination (NCT03125616)).