Even though vaccines are important for our health and safety, they can be unpleasant to receive. It is possible, however, for someone else to take them on our behalf and spare us the experience of injection while still giving us all of the benefits. Unfortunately, that is only an option before we are born.

DTaP vaccine is a combination vaccine against 3 diseases caused by different bacteria – Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis [1]. While in many countries it is mandatory to receive it at some point in life, it is not mandatory to receive it during pregnancy. However, a doctor following the pregnancy might suggest it. Hence, in response to our reader’s curiosity, our article aims to discuss the topic of the DTaP vaccine and its application in pregnant women.

Diphtheria is caused by a toxin produced by bacteria from the genus Corynebacterium and mostly affects children below 15 years of age. Symptoms of Diphtheria may start appearing up to 10 days after infection. The most specific symptoms of diphtheria include a “bull neck” caused by enlarged lymph nodes, a layer of coating called pseudomembrane localised in the throat, and lesions on the skin. In severe cases, it can lead to inflammation of the heart and nerves. In unvaccinated populations, it can reach a mortality rate of up to 17% [2].

Tetanus is caused by a bacterium, i.e., Clostridium tetani. Its symptoms may arise up to 3 weeks after infection. Tetanus is characterised by intense muscle spasms, usually starting in the jaw. Even when treated, the mortality rate can reach up to 20% [3].

Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough” or “100-day cough”, is caused by a bacterial infection, Bordetella pertussis. The initial stages of the infection last about 2 weeks and are similar to those of the common cold. While the symptoms would end there for immunised patients, they could linger in non-vaccinated patients for another 10 weeks. The coughing is so severe and persistent it might lead to vomiting and fractured ribs. In the most severe cases it can be fatal, especially for infants [4]. Pertussis is also the main focus of most of the studies regarding the DTaP vaccine being the most prevalent of the three diseases. Its causative agent is endemic in every country and reaches epidemic proportions every 3 to 4 years. In 2013 alone, it was responsible for the death of around 63,000 children under five years of age [5].

While these three bacterial diseases are extremely dangerous to children, their infection can be easily prevented with vaccines. Unfortunately, in the USA or countries of the European Union the vaccination can not be administered to children younger than 2-3 months. Additionally, the immunity is short-lived. Hence, vaccination must be performed up to 5 times during childhood and repeated during adulthood [1, 6]. During these initial 2-3 months, infants are highly susceptible to these diseases, especially because 75% of these infections happen through contact at home. To prevent that, a strategy called “cocooning” was implemented around 2006. Cocooning is achieved when everyone in the household with the newborn receives the vaccination to prevent transmission of the disease to the baby [7]. This, however, is very hard to conduct as it involves the vaccination of many people in direct and indirect proximity to the child. Indeed, the number of pertussis cases in children below 2 months of age did not change significantly in the years from 2000 to 2010 in the USA [8].