What is the Knowledge Hub?
Explore the VoICE Knowledge Hub—a searchable database featuring the latest peer-reviewed research on immunization benefits, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Browse the Knowledge Hub using a variety of different filters to find vaccine evidence based on country, region, topic, or disease. Click on a tag to find more evidence on a specific area, such as the return on investment of vaccines or impacts of infectious disease outbreaks.
Search
Diseases & Vaccines
Country
WHO Regions
Topics
Immunization Terms
Vaccinating pregnant women against pertussis greatly reduces the risk of the disease in infants and infant deaths
Vaccinating pregnant women against pertussis at least one week before delivery was found to be 91% effective in preventing the disease in infants <3 months old and 95% effective in preventing infant deaths in a study conducted in England over a 3-year period following the introduction of dTap-IPV vaccine for pregnant women. Of the 37 deaths from pertussis in infants that occurred in England from 2009 to 2015, 32 (86%) were in infants <2 months of age, highlighting the vulnerability of very young infants to severe pertussis. All but 2 of the deaths in <2 month olds were in children whose mothers hadn’t been vaccinated against pertussis during their pregnancy, while in the 2 other cases, the vaccination occurred too late in the pregnancy (<10 days before the birth).
Amirthalingam G, Campbell H, Ribeiro S et al.. 2016. Sustained effectiveness of the maternal pertussis immunization program in England 3 years following introduction. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 63 (Suppl 4).
Rotavirus vaccination programs show significant short-term return on investments
In a UK cost-effectiveness analysis, which takes into account herd effect, the budget impact analysis demonstrated that the introduction of a rotavirus vaccine program could pay back between 58-96% of the cost outlay for the program within the first 4 years.
Atkins, K.E., Carroll, S., et al.. 2012. The cost-effectiveness of pentavalent rotavirus vaccination in England and Wales.. Vaccine. 30(48).
Measles infection suppresses the immune system for up to 3 years after infection
In a study of data from England & Wales, Denmark, and the US, it was shown that measles infection suppresses the immune system for up to 3 years after infection, increasing the risk of death due to other childhood infections during that time. This means that prevention of measles significantly impacts overall health during critical childhood years.
Mina, M.J., Metcalf, C.J. de Swart, R.L., et al. 2015. Long-term measles-induced immunomodulation increases overall childhood infectious disease mortality. Science. 348(6235).