Safety of Tdap vaccine in pregnant women: an observational study

Petousis-Harris, Helen; Walls, Tony; Watson, Donna; Paynter, Janine; Graham, Patricia; Turner, Nikki

In 2011, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that acellular pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap) be given to any person, including pregnant women, likely to be in contact with infants under the age of 12 months. 1 In September 2012, the UK recommended providing Tdap vaccine for pregnant women ideally between 28 and 38 weeks of pregnancy. 2 Vaccine administration in pregnancy offers maternal protection against pertussis and also provides for maternal antibody to be passed to the infant, which has been demonstrated to be protective in their first months of life. 3 4 There are no theoretical safety concerns with administering subunit vaccines in pregnancy and some vaccines, in particular tetanus, have been used widely in pregnant women. 5 In October 2012, in response to a pertussis epidemic, the New Zealand (NZ) Ministry of Health began funding Tdap vaccine for all women from 28 to 38 weeks gestation.