Maternal immunization : collaborating with Mother Nature

Maternal immunization offers much hope to substantially reduce morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases after birth. The success of tetanus, influenza and pertussis immunization during pregnancy has led to consideration of additional maternal immunization strategies to prevent Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, among others. However, there remain multiple gaps in our knowledge regarding the immunobiology of maternal immunization that prevent optimal design and application of this successful public health intervention. An innovative landscape analysis was therefore undertaken to identify research priorities. Key topics were delineated through review of the published literature, consultation with vaccine developers and regulatory agencies, and a collaborative workshop gathering experts across several current maternal immunization initiatives - GBS, RSV, pertussis, and influenza. Finally, a global online survey prioritized the identified knowledge gaps based on expert opinion regarding their importance and relevance. This article presents the results of this worldwide landscape analysis and discusses the identified research gaps.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCInfectious Diseases, Division ofMedicine, Department ofPediatrics, Department ofReviewedFacult