Implications of Current Maternal Tdap Vaccine Uptake on Future Vaccines

Rates of maternal Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) vaccination have "important implications” when estimating the uptake of future maternal vaccines, according to research presented at IDWeek 2022, held October 19 to 23 in Washington, D.C. These data are especially important as vaccines for diseases like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are currently in development.

The researchers identified pregnant women aged 15 to 44 years who had a live birth between January 2017 and September 2021 recorded in the Optum electronic health record database. Women were included if they had continuous activity for 6 months preconception through 1 day after birth and those with >1 type of pregnancy outcome within 7 days or an unidentifiable vaccine uptake by gestational week (wGA) were excluded.

During the study period, there were 1,056,488 live births among 919,510 pregnant women, with an average age at delivery of 29.7±5.6 years (72% White). The majority of women were on private insurance; 38% were on Medicaid. Fifty-six percent of the pregnancies included a Tdap vaccine during pregnancy, the majority of which (68%) received a Tdap vaccine in the first 6 weeks of the CDC-recommended vaccination window of 27 to 36 wGA. Weeks 27 through 29 were the most common time for women to be vaccinated, followed by the final week in the window.

"Overall uptake of maternal Tdap vaccination was consistent with previously published estimates,” the researchers concluded. Looking to the future, the researchers added, , “these results may have important implications for estimating potential impact of future maternal vaccines.”

Reference

1. Law AW, Judy J, Willis SJ, Shea KM. High maternal Tdap vaccine uptake during early part of vaccination window: implications for future maternal vaccines. Presented at: IDWeek 2022; October 19-23, 2022; Washington, D.C. Poster 106.