Pertussis Vaccine Prevents Infant Mortality

Because American infants are at highest risk of severe pertussis and death, researchers investigated the role of one or more pertussis vaccinations in preventing pertussis-related deaths and risk markers for death among infants aged younger than 42 days. In the study, researchers analyzed characteristics of fatal and nonfatal infant pertussis cases reported nationally during 1991 to 2008. Infants were categorized into two age groups on the basis of eligibility to receive a first pertussis vaccine dose at age 6 weeks. Dose one was considered valid if given at greater than or equal to 14 days before illness onset. They found that pertussis-related deaths occurred among 258 of 45,404 cases. Fatal and nonfatal cases were confirmed by culture and polymerase chain reaction. All deaths occurred before age 34 weeks at illness onset; 64 percent occurred before age 6 weeks. Among infants aged greater than or equal to 42 days, receiving one or more doses of vaccine protected against death.