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

DAVID

COCKRUM

MD

Physician

Faith Regional Physician Services

Occupational Health

(402) 844 8300

2024 Pasewalk Avenue, Suite 2

Norfolk

NE

 

68701

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