The association between vaccine hesitancy and pertussis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Robust routine immunization schedules for pertussis-containing vaccines have been applied for years, but pertussis outbreaks remain a worldwide problem. This study aimed to investigate the association between vaccine hesitancy and pertussis in infants and children. Methods We searched PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Embase, and China National Knowledge Internet for studies published between January 2012 and June 2022. This study included case–control and cohort studies that assessed the association between childhood/maternal vaccine hesitancy and odds ratios (ORs), risk ratios (RRs), and vaccine effectiveness (VE) related to pertussis in infants and children ≤ 9 years old. ORs/VEs with a 95