Grant: Operating Grant: ECI grants in MRC&Y Health - Infection and Immunity

Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) is a highly contagious infectious illness that mainly affects the lungs. The highest risk of severe pertussis illness occurs in babies under the age of two months, and can lead to breathing difficulties, hospitalization, and even death. In order to prevent these early cases, women are sometimes vaccinated against pertussis during their pregnancy, which provides protection to the babies before they are fully vaccinated themselves in the early months of life. However, even in countries where pertussis vaccination is recommended and provided for free, not all pregnant women become vaccinated possibly due to ongoing concern about the safety of vaccination during pregnancy for their children. As there is limited information on possible benefits or concerns of pertussis vaccination during pregnancy on longer-term health, our study will examine important health outcomes among children up to six years of age. Our findings will provide valuable information to pregnant women and their families, as well as to health care providers working to ensure that mothers and their children are in the best possible health.