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Timely Prenatal and Infant Pertussis Vaccine Uptake in an Integrated Health System

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Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Hispanic infants bear the burden of pertussis infection. We examined pertussis protection from vaccination in infants with US-born and foreign-born Hispanic mothers.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of infants up to 1 year of age. Secondary data of mothers with continuous membership since the 27th week of pregnancy with infants born 1/1/2012–12/31/2017 in an integrated health care delivery organization, which broadly represent the Southern California population.

Results

Foreign-born Hispanic mothers had higher prenatal tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) uptake compared to US-born white mothers [adjusted risk ratio (aRR): 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.05]. Infants with mothers on Medicaid insurance disproportionately did not enroll in the health plan by the time they were eligible for their first dose of the DTaP vaccine (68.4%). Once initiating the infant vaccine series, foreign-born Hispanic mothers more likely adhered than US-born white mothers (aRR: 1.05, CI: 1.02, 1.08).

Discussion

In an integrated health system, disparities in vaccine uptake can be minimized. Infants who are born to mothers with Medicaid insurance and are not enrolled in the health plan after birth may be under-protected from pertussis.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) internal research funds.

Funding

This work was supported by Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) internal research funds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Therapy, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, USA

    Tracy Becerra-Culqui

  2. Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, 100 S. Los Robles, Pasadena, CA, 91101, USA

    Bradley Ackerson & Hung Fu Tseng

  3. Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Harbor City, CA, USA

    Bradley Ackerson

  4. Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Hung Fu Tseng

Authors
  1. Tracy Becerra-Culqui
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  2. Bradley Ackerson
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  3. Hung Fu Tseng
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All authors have contributed significantly to the work, read the manuscript, agree the work is ready for submission, accept responsibility for the manuscript’s contents, including the data, the analyses and interpretation, and the conduct of the research.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hung Fu Tseng.

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Ethics Approval and Consent

This study was approved by the KPSC institutional review board, which waived the requirement for informed consent.

Competing Interests

TBC received research funding from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) group of companies for other studies outside of the submitted work. BKA received research funding from the GSK group of companies, Novavax, Seqirus, Dynavax, Moderna, Pfizer, and Genentech for other studies outside of the submitted work. HFT received research funding from the GSK group of companies and Moderna for other studies outside of the submitted work.

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Becerra-Culqui, T., Ackerson, B. & Tseng, H.F. Timely Prenatal and Infant Pertussis Vaccine Uptake in an Integrated Health System. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-023-01711-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-023-01711-5

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