• vaccine remains subsidised for women who are pregnant

  • Tdap 28-38/40

• evidence provide immunity to mother and child

  • reduced infant pertussis

    • 33%

    • hospitalisation 38%

    • deaths 49%

• considered safe

• antibodies decline over 4-20yrs

  • babies born to mothers wiht antibody titres below that thought to be clincially effective

  • even if immunised @ 6wks = antibodies too low to reliably prevent infecction for first weeks/months of life

treating women who are pregnant

• significant increase in risk of pasisng infection to infant

• prescribed abx regardless of when symptoms started

  • reduce transmission rate

• erythromycin 400mg four times daily for 14d