This is a huge conundrum in MCOH. Vaccine-mediated immunity wanes within a decade – as does natural immunity from infection. There is no clear serologic marker of immunity - different studies use different antibodies
and different cutoff levels to assess immunity, and we know that cell-mediated immunity is an important unmeasured contributor to immunity. But the consensus is that immunity is relatively short and certainly not lifelong or career long. Yet, there is no recommendation
for routine adult pertussis boosters outside of pregnancy – even every 10 years. WHO and CDC continue to recommend only the Td every 10 years.
WHO asked a SAGE panel to study this issue and they issued a report. I forget what SAGE stands for, but suffice it to say these are the world’s experts on pertussis vaccination and immunity. From a public health
standpoint, the benefit of changing the recommendation for entire populations to extend pertussis boosters throughout adulthood was minimal and did not justify the enormous resource expenditure at the national level.
Obviously for healthcare personnel, there are other issues of occupational exposure management and prevention of healthcare-facility spread. BUT – vaccination doesn’t really change exposure management. Vaccination
can potentially reduce costs and morbidity from outbreaks where the index case is the healthcare worker. There are several interesting cost-effectiveness studies on Tdap in HCW, but they raise more questions than they answer, frankly.
Right now, with CDC saying no boosters are recommended routinely for HCWs, I think facilities imposing a booster requirement would be on shaky ground.
Just my 2 cents!
Melanie
Melanie Swift, MD
Senior Associate Consultant
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine
Phone 507.284.2560
_______________________________
Mayo Clinic
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905
www.mayoclinic.org
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of Thrasher, Terri (Terri)
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2019 9:40 AM
To: MCOH/EH
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [MCOH-EH] Updated Pertussis Vaccination
We do not require it because of the research and efficacy… Pregnant women are to get it with every pregnancy but we consider that personal and we don’t track it or require it.
From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net> On Behalf Of
Cockrum, MD David S
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2019 10:08 AM
To: MCOH/EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Subject: [MCOH-EH] Updated Pertussis Vaccination
Hello-
Do any hospitals/med centers have policy on re-immunizing HCWs with Tdap sooner than the usual 10 year cycle? CDC doesn’t seem to indicate the usefulness, but our OB feels that the pertussis immunity wanes within 2 years, so we’re debating
whether we need to consider a policy for re-immunizing, esp in OB and Peds.
Any evidence (literature or expert guidance) to back it up would be appreciated!
Thanks,
David
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