Pertussis in infancy and the association with respiratory and cognitive disorders at toddler ageArchived
The authors acknowledge several methodological limitations in this study, and the data refer to a small sample of children.
de Greeff SC, van Buul LW, Westerhof A, Wijga AH, van de Kassteele J, Oostvogels B, van der Maas NA, Mooi FR, de Melker HE. Vaccine. 2011 Oct 26;29(46):8275-8.
The authors acknowledge several methodological limitations in this study, and the data refer to a small sample of children. Furthermore, we can only speculate on biological reasons underlying the association between severe pertussis in early life and respiratory morbidity on toddler age. More research is required to support the results found in this pilot study. However, given the increase in pertussis infections observed in the past decade, these results emphasise the need to prevent pertussis in infants and, if confirmed, they could favourably impact on (cost-) effectiveness ratios of pertussis vaccination strategies.