Table 6.

Consensus on priorities for future research related to vaccination against pertussis disease during pregnancy.

Safety

1. The association between receipt of Tdap in pregnancy and chorioamnionitis

Immunogenicity

1. Assessment of immune correlates for protection against pertussis disease (e.g., Bordetella pertussis –specific antibody levels)

2. Bordetella pertussis antigens to be included in pertussis vaccines for maternal immunization to provide sufficient clinical protection to the infant

3. The need for immunization against pertussis disease in subsequent (3rd or more) pregnancies.

4. Comparative studies comparing different pertussis vaccine formulations (e.g., Tdap vs. aP stand-alone vaccines)

5. Role of previous vaccination of the mother with whole cell or aP vaccines in the immune response to maternal pertussis vaccination

Timing

1. The effect of timing of vaccination on the function of anti-Bordetella pertussis antibodies transferred to infants

2. The immunogenicity of stand-alone aP given in different times in pregnancy

Effectiveness

1. Burden of pertussis disease in infancy in low and middle-income countries

2. The effectiveness of maternal immunization program in low and middle-income countries if pertussis immunization in pregnancy is implemented

3. Assess the eventual role of previous vaccination with whole cell or acellular pertussis to the mother on vaccine effectiveness

4. Vaccine effectiveness of various Tdap formulations

Tdap, tetanus-diphtheria-acellular-pertussis; aP, acellular pertussis.