Pneumococcal Immune Response in Infants Whose Mothers Received Tdap Vaccination During Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Maternal immunization with a tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine may blunt infant pneumococcal immune responses after a primary series of vaccines. METHODS: As part of a prospective controlled cohort trial of Tdap (Boostrix®, GSK Biologicals) vaccination in pregnancy, infants born to vaccinated mothers and controls were immunized at 8 and 16 weeks and 12 months of age with 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar13®, Pfizer). Sera were tested for pneumococcal antibody concentrations against vaccine serotypes following primary and booster immunization. RESULTS: Geometric mean concentration (GMC) of antibodies to serotype 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 7F, 9V, 14 and 19A were significantly lower after 2 doses of Prevenar13® vaccine in the offspring of the mothers vaccinated in pregnancy. This blunting effect disappeared after a booster dose at the age of 12 months, except for serotype 1 and 4. Despite this blunting, the percentage of children achieving the threshold of protection of 0.35 µg/mL was comparable in the vaccine and the control group both after primary and booster vaccination with only a significant lower rate of seroprotection in the vaccine group for serotype 3 after primary vaccination. After booster vaccination, seroprotection rates increased further for serotypes 3, 5, 6B, 9V and 23F. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate a blunting effect post-primary vaccination for some serotypes resolving after booster vaccination. Seroprotection rates were comparable both after primary and booster vaccination, except for serotype 3 with a significant lower seroprotection rate in the vaccine group after primary vaccination

Functionals of the Brownian motion, localization and metric graphs

We review several results related to the problem of a quantum particle in a random environment. In an introductory part, we recall how several functionals of the Brownian motion arise in the study of electronic transport in weakly disordered metals (weak localization). Two aspects of the physics of the one-dimensional strong localization are reviewed : some properties of the scattering by a random potential (time delay distribution) and a study of the spectrum of a random potential on a bounded domain (the extreme value statistics of the eigenvalues). Then we mention several results concerning the diffusion on graphs, and more generally the spectral properties of the Schr\"odinger operator on graphs. The interest of spectral determinants as generating functions characterizing the diffusion on graphs is illustrated. Finally, we consider a two-dimensional model of a charged particle coupled to the random magnetic field due to magnetic vortices. We recall the connection between spectral properties of this model and winding functionals of the planar Brownian motion.Comment: Review article. 50 pages, 21 eps figures. Version 2: section 5.5 and conclusion added. Several references adde

Global Perspectives on Immunization During Pregnancy and Priorities for Future Research and Development: An International Consensus Statement

Immunization during pregnancy has been recommended in an increasing number of countries. The aim of this strategy is to protect pregnant women and infants from severe infectious disease, morbidity and mortality and is currently limited to tetanus, inactivated influenza, and pertussis-containing vaccines. There have been recent advancements in the development of vaccines designed primarily for use in pregnant women (respiratory syncytial virus and group B Streptococcus vaccines). Although there is increasing evidence to support vaccination in pregnancy, important gaps in knowledge still exist and need to be addressed by future studies. This collaborative consensus paper provides a review of the current literature on immunization during pregnancy and highlights the gaps in knowledge and a consensus of priorities for future research initiatives, in order to optimize protection for both the mother and the infant