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Project

Vaccine preventable diseases in pregnant and lactating women.

Due to the high susceptibility and vulnerability of pregnant women, foetuses and infants to infectious diseases, maternal immunization has gained interest. Nevertheless, the optimal timepoint for vaccination in pregnancy is still unknown. Also, dynamic changes in immune function occur during pregnancy if a vaccine is given at a different gestational age. This may affect vaccine response and kinetics of vaccine-induced antibodies in blood and breastmilk in pregnant and lactating women. Additionally, since several recommendations for vaccination in pregnancy and in the postpartum period are currently in place, the question arises whether the administration of different vaccines has an impact on the immune responses to these vaccines and possibly causes an interaction in the kinetics of antibodies induced by these vaccines. Within this project, we aim to determine the optimal time point for vaccination in pregnancy, compare antibody kinetics and investigate potential interactions in immune responses when administering different vaccines (e.g. pertussis, COVID-19) in pregnancy or in the postpartum. We develop conceptual frameworks in which we combine statistical approaches with mathematical models of infectious diseases to improve the analysis and the design of maternal immunization studies. The focus of the project is on pertussis and COVID-19, but outcomes can be applied to infectious diseases for which vaccines can be administered in pregnancy or in the postpartum period.
Date:1 Jan 2023 →  Today
Keywords:VACCINATION
Disciplines:Vaccinology, Preventive medicine, Biostatistics
Project type:Collaboration project