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Pertussis incidence significantly declines in New York after legislation
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BALTIMORE — Data presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting showed that pertussis incidence decreased by more than 50% after the Neonatal Pertussis Prevention Act was passed in New York in 2013. The act requires that Tdap vaccine be offered to caregivers during birth hospitalization.
“The data shows that passage of the Neonatal Infant Pertussis Act [NPPA] was associated with a reduced incidence of disease in children in each age group studied,” Shetal I. Shah, MD, FAAP, at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital of the Westchester (N.Y.) Medical Center Health Network, told Infectious Disease News. “This is associative, as we were unable to track actual parental and caregiver Tdap immunization rates.”
Shetal I. Shah
In 2013, New York Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D, 4th District), with assistance from Shah, wrote and helped to pass the NPPA. It requires that Tdap be offered to caregivers during birth hospitalization as a way to promote cocoon immunity for infants, according to Shah.
Using the New York Communicable Disease Electronic Surveillance System, Heather L. Brumberg, MD, MPH, FAAP, at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, and colleagues obtained data from 2010 to 2015 on pertussis cases and hospitalizations for 57 New York counties outside of New York City. In addition, they used state population rates in 2011 and 2013 to determine the incidence per 100,000.
During the study period, 6,086 cases of pertussis were detected, 68.8% of which occurred before NPPA and 31.2% of which occurred after (P < .0001). Overall, the pertussis incidence rate decreased from 37.3 per 100,000 children before NPPA to 16.9 per 100,000 after the legislation (P < .007). For children aged younger than 1 year, pertussis incidence decreased from 304 per 100,000 children to 165 per 100,000 (P < .0001), and pertussis hospitalization decreased from 104 per 100,000 children to 63 per 100,000 children (P < .0015).
The NPPA was associated with a reduced pertussis incidence, especially for those at high-risk, the researchers wrote.
“This should provide some degree of scientific impetus to other states and counties to consider this measure as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce whooping cough,” Shah said. – by Will Offit
Reference:
Shah SI, et al. Abstract 1505.462. Presented at: Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting; April 30-May 3, 2016; Baltimore.
Disclosures: Shah and Brumberg report no relevant financial disclosures.