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Title: Vaccinating Parents Protects Newborns in the NICU Against Pertussis
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22A976.htm
Doctor's Guide
September 3, 2008

NEW YORK -- September 3, 2008 -- Immunising parents while they're in the hospital caring for a newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an effective way to prevent the transmission of pertussis to vulnerable infants, according to the study in the September issue of Pediatrics.

Andrew M. Dylag and Shetal I. Shah, MD, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, examined a new method to increase adult vaccination rates for pertussis to create a "cocoon" of immunity around infants in a level 3 NICU.

For a 4-month period from July to October 2007, all parents of admitted patients were informed of the risks and benefits of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine by placing an information letter at their infant's bedside.

All staff were educated about the dangers of pertussis infection and instructed to reinforce the need to obtain vaccination. Immunisation was available for 20 hours per day at no cost. Student's t tests were used for data analysis.

During the study period, 352 children (598 eligible parents) were admitted to the NICU at gestational ages ranging from 23 to 42 weeks, and 495 (82.8%) parents were offered the vaccine.

Overall vaccination rate was 86.9% (430 parents) of the screened population. Fifty-five (11.1%) parents in the screened cohort refused vaccination, predominately citing pertussis as an insignificant health threat or disbelief in vaccination.

There were no differences in vaccination rate on the basis of parental age. No allergic reactions to vaccination were observed.

In conclusion, the authors recommend tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccination for adults who are in contact with infants who are younger than 12 months and in the NICU.


SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics

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