Project description
PERTINENT is an European hospital network that aimed to estimate the burden of pertussis in infants aged less than one year in terms of incidence and severity, as well as the vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation for pertussis with regards to primary vaccination in infants but also vaccination in pregnancy.
Context situation
In the ten years before the project started, pertussis had re-emerged in many regions including the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), despite high and stable vaccine coverage with the primary series of acellular pertussis vaccine. This increase in pertussis incidence has been observed among adolescents, adults and particularly among children too young to be vaccinated or to have completed the primary series. The majority of severe complications (including pneumonia, convulsions, encephalopathy and death) occur in infants aged <6 months and half of infants less than 1 year of age who get the disease require hospitalisation. The PERTINENT network consisted of 11 partner institutions including seven study sites (six EU/EEA countries) and 41 hospitals.
Project activities
Generic protocol
Development of a generic protocol on active surveillance of pertussis in infants and pertussis vaccine effectiveness.
Pooled analysis of surveillance data
Including all infants with pertussis-like symptoms aged less than one year and who tested positive to Bordetella pertussis, we estimated pertussis annual incidence and monitored trends in incidence for the respective seven study sites.
Pooled analysis of pertussis vaccine effectiveness at EU/EEA level
Data management, data validation, development of scripts, report writing, scientific communication. Using a test-negative design, we measured vaccine effectiveness of infant vaccination and mother vaccination in pregnancy.
Scientific meetings
Organisation of scientific meetings and technical workshops to present results, exchange with other international partners, discuss epidemiological and methodological issues.
