PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Amirthalingam, Gayatri
TI  - Strategies to control pertussis in infants
AID  - 10.1136/archdischild-2012-302968
DP  - 2013 Jul 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 552--555
VI  - 98
IP  - 7
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/98/7/552.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/98/7/552.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child2013 Jul 01; 98
AB  - The UK is currently in the midst of a large outbreak of pertussis, with the highest morbidity and mortality occurring in young unimmunised infants. This review considers the potential strategies to optimise control of pertussis in infants, including vaccination of (1) adolescents, (2) close household contacts of newborn infants (cocooning), (3) newborn infants and (4) pregnant women. The paper discusses the evidence base for each of these strategies and considers the rationale for the recent introduction of a temporary vaccination programme for pregnant women in the UK in response to the ongoing outbreak.