GSK Vietnam, Vietnam Association of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Vietnam Association of Preventive Medicine have oganised a series of seminars on the benefits of maternal immunisation against pertussis, especially for pregnant women. (Photo courtesy of GSK) The seminar series themed "Increasing antibodies by pertussis vaccine toprotect babies during the pregnancy” attracted the participation of topindustry experts and more than 1,000 health professionals nationwide.
This was an opportunity for experts to emphasise the need once again for adultimmunisation, especially for pregnant women.
The experts discussed the latest scientific data and the burden of pertussisinfection in infants who are too young to be vaccinated.
Pham Quang Thai, deputy head of Communicable Disease Control and PreventionDepartment under the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology(NIHE), said for more than 50% of severe pertussis infected children, theirmother is the most common source of transmission during the first three monthsof life.
Medical reports globally show up to 93% of infants under three months of agewith pertussis require hospitalisation due to complications such as pneumonia,seizures, brain damage or convulsions.
About 73% of pertussis-related deaths occur in children under three months ofage.
Recognising the need for early immunization to protect newborns, the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) and healthcare systems in over 40 countries,including the UK, the USA, Brazil and Australia, have issued vaccinationrecommendations for pregnant women to protect their children during the"immunity gap" period.
Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of GSK'sTdap vaccine for pregnant women to prevent pertussis in newborn infants.
In Vietnam, this vaccine has also been licensed by the Ministry of Health.
Le Quang Thanh, president of the HCM City Maternal and Fetal MedicineAssociation and director of Tu Du Maternity Hospital, reminded theaudience of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the benefit ofearly prevention with vaccines.
Vaccination coverage among adults, especially pregnant women, have historicallybeen low, however, fortunately, there have been positive changes since thepandemic.
“More people are aware of the importance of disease prevention and of the roleof health professionals, including pulmonologists and obstetricians, in givingvaccination counseling to the elderly, people with underlying medicalconditions, and pregnant women,” Thanh said.
Pham Thi My Lien, president of GSK Vietnam, said GSK is proud tosupport Viet Nam’s healthcare system to bring new advanced medical solutions tothe Vietnamese people to prevent disease.
“We hope the Vietnamese government will continue to recommend vaccination toprotect adults from vaccine preventable diseases,” she said.
GSK is a global biopharma company uniting science, technology, andtalent to get ahead of disease together./.
VNA
