Maternal Immunization

Infections are one of the key causes of newborn deaths. Among them, Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of sepsis and bacterial meningitis in the first 90 days of life. Fortunately, GBS vaccines for pregnant women, a powerful tool for fighting infections, are currently in development. Once vaccine trials are completed, these vaccines can stop preventable newborn deaths. The PReparing for Optimal Phase III/IV maTErnal Group B StreptococCal vaccine Trials in Africa (PROTECT) project, funded by the European \& Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and European Commission, is supporting medical sites in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda to establish uniform pregnancy and infant health data collection processes. It is also establishing surveillance of GBS in newborns to determine incidence rates and measure the burden of disease. With better reporting systems, medical sites can participate in vaccine trials and monitor vaccine safety. At the same time, the consortium is working to understand the drivers of vaccine hesitancy and to develop culturally appropriate communication tools to facilitate engagement with vaccines. The end goal is to set up a network of sites that can monitor vaccine safety for current and future vaccines.

The overall objective of Tarsila Study is to estimate the real-world vaccine effectiveness of maternal RSVpreF immunization during pregnancy in Brazil against medically attended (inpatient and outpatient) respiratory syncytial virus-associated acute respiratory illness in infants. To achieve this, two multicenter, prospective, test-negative case-control studies will be conducted among infants with ARI: the TARSILA Inpatient Study, evaluating hospitalized infants and the TARSILA Outpatient Study, evaluating infants managed in outpatient settings.