{"id":45087,"date":"2014-07-16T08:34:02","date_gmt":"2014-07-16T08:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=a2d4c493829b568ff399434b8c42f7bf"},"modified":"2014-07-16T08:34:02","modified_gmt":"2014-07-16T08:34:02","slug":"press-release-continuation-of-whooping-cough-vaccination-programme-in-pregnancy-advised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=45087","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Continuation of whooping cough vaccination programme in pregnancy advised"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Public Health England (PHE<\/abbr>) welcomes today\u2019s (16 July 2014) announcement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI<\/abbr>) advising the Department of Health (DH<\/abbr>) that the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination programme for pregnant women should continue for a further 5 years. The advice reflects new data on vaccine effectiveness and safety published by PHE<\/abbr> and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n

The DH<\/abbr> announced the temporary vaccination programme for pregnant women in October 2012, in response to a national whooping cough outbreak that led to several infant deaths. Vaccinating women against whooping cough in pregnancy (between 28 and 38 weeks) means that the mother passes immunity on to her unborn child, protecting the baby until they receive their first whooping cough vaccination at 2 months old.<\/p>\n

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor John Watson said: <\/p>\n

\n

Babies too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk from whooping cough. It\u2019s an extremely distressing illness that can lead to young babies being admitted to hospital and can potentially be fatal. The JCVI<\/abbr>\u2019s advice will be welcomed by families and we will work with NHS England to ensure the programme continues to be offered to mums-to-be.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

New PHE<\/abbr> research published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases shows that vaccinating pregnant women against whooping cough has been highly effective in protecting young infants from this potentially fatal disease. Babies born to women vaccinated at least a week before delivery had a 91% reduced risk of becoming ill with whooping cough in their first weeks of life, compared to babies whose mothers had not been vaccinated.<\/p>\n

These findings are supplemented by the first large study of the whooping cough vaccine safety in pregnancy, published by the MHRA<\/abbr> in the British Medical Journal. Reviewing data from around 18,000 vaccinated women from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD<\/abbr>), the research found no evidence of risk from the vaccine to pregnancy or the developing baby, and rates of normal, healthy births were similar to those seen in unvaccinated women.<\/p>\n

Dr Katherine Donegan, lead author of the MHRA<\/abbr> study, said: <\/p>\n

\n

Coupled with the new evidence from Public Health England on the effectiveness of the vaccine, our research should provide further reassurance on the safety and benefits of the vaccine for expectant mothers and healthcare professionals who offer the vaccine.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Out today, the latest PHE<\/abbr> data also show an overall decline in whooping cough cases since the pregnancy programme started in October 2012. The greatest decrease in disease seen has been in infants under 6 months old, who are targeted by the maternal vaccination programme, which provides good evidence it is working.<\/p>\n

There were 14 deaths in infants diagnosed with whooping cough in 2012 and born before the vaccination in pregnancy programme started. Eight deaths have been reported in infants diagnosed with whooping cough in 2013 and so far this year. The mothers of 7 of these 8 babies were not vaccinated in pregnancy.<\/p>\n

PHE<\/abbr>\u2019s head of immunisation, Dr Mary Ramsay, said: <\/p>\n

\n

We welcome JCVI<\/abbr>\u2019s advice that the vaccination programme for pregnant women is continued, particularly while whooping cough continues to circulate at elevated levels. It has been highly effective at preventing disease, and deaths in young babies.<\/p>\n

The latest figures show that around 60% of pregnant women have received the whooping cough vaccination, which is a testament to the health professionals implementing this programme. However, these infant deaths reminds us how important it is that every pregnant woman is informed about the benefits of the vaccine, and given the opportunity to receive it at the right time so their babies are protected from birth.<\/p>\n

Although we have also seen a decline in cases in older children and adults from the peak in 2012 the numbers still remain considerably higher than those in 2011, suggesting the infection has not fallen to background levels.<\/p>\n

Today, we urge pregnant women to ensure they are vaccinated between 28 and 32 weeks of their pregnancy wherever possible, although vaccination may be given up to 38 weeks. We are also working with GPs<\/abbr>, midwives and other health professionals to ensure they have the facts at hand, including the latest evidence from the PHE<\/abbr> and MHRA<\/abbr> studies, to help women take up this highly effective and safe vaccine.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Whooping cough affects all ages and is highly infectious. Young infants are at highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough as babies do not complete vaccination until they are 4 months old. In older children and adults whooping cough can be an unpleasant illness but it does not usually lead to serious complications. <\/p>\n

Dr Ramsay, continues:<\/p>\n

\n

Parents should also be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough \u2013 which include severe coughing fits which may be accompanied by difficulty breathing (or pauses in breathing in young infants) or vomiting after coughing and the characteristic \u2018whoop\u2019 sound in young children. In older children or adults it may present simply as a prolonged cough.<\/p>\n

Parents must also ensure their children are vaccinated against whooping cough on time, even babies of women who\u2019ve had the vaccine in pregnancy \u2013 this is to provide continued protection through childhood.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Notes to editors<\/h2>\n