In Argentina, more than 50% of deaths due to pertussis occurred in infants younger than 2 months of age — too young to be vaccinated in the country. The impact of maternal pertussis vaccination in protecting their infants against the disease reduced the incidence of pertussis in infants less than 2 months old by half, when comparing states with high and low maternal vaccination rates.
Argentina
Vaccinating pregnant women with Tdap vaccine is 81% effective in preventing pertussis in infants
Vaccinating women during their second or third trimester of pregnancy with the Tdap vaccine was 81% effective in preventing pertussis in their infants in the first two months of life, according to a case-control study in Argentina.
This is one of the first studies to measure the effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination in a middle-income country and its findings support Argentina’s decision to introduce the vaccine.
Childhood vaccination against Hepatitis A is cost-effective
In Argentina, universal vaccination for Hepatitis A in children, at 95% vaccine coverage, can prevent over 350,000 hepatitis A infections per year and 428 deaths. Benefits persist at coverage rates as low as 70% with over 290,000 prevented infections. At 95% coverage rates, this program would save almost $24,000 annually.
In Argentina, PCV immunization is a highly cost effective strategy
PCV7 use in Argentina resulted in an estimated cost of US$5,599 per life year gained. The purchase of the 4 doses of vaccine for the entire cohort at a cost of US$26.5 per dose would required an investment of US$73,823,806.00. This investment would significantly reduce the number of deaths brought about by cases of meningitis, bacteremia, pneumonia, otitis media and meningitis sequelae. The resultant decrease in morbidity and mortality coupled with herd immunity offered by immunization would contribute substantially to national productivity making PCV immunization a highly cost effective strategy.