- The FDA has approved GSK Plc GSK Boostrix vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy to prevent whooping cough in infants less than two months old.
- “When the Boostrix vaccine is given during pregnancy, it boosts antibodies in the mother, which are passed on to the developing baby,” the agency said said.
- While FDA approval of Boostrix has always included use during pregnancy to protect the vaccinated individual, the recent decision expands its use to prevent pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, in infants under two months old.
- The agency first approved the vaccine in 2005 for adolescents ages 10 to 18 as a single-dose injection to prevent tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4.2% of all cases of whooping cough — a common respiratory illness — reported in the United States in 2021 involved infants under six months of age.
- Price promotion: GSK shares are up 0.10% to $30.14 during the premarket session on last Check Monday.
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