In the News--Whooping cough vaccine wears off too quickly

Researchers are recognizing that the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine currently being used loses its protection.  Increasing numbers of children (who have been vaccinated) are getting this disease. I recently talked about whooping cough (August 1 and 3, 2012.) That information can be found at http://livingthehealthylifewehavechoices.blogspot.com/2012/08/old-diseases-that-wont-die-off-whooping.html

When the whooping cough vaccine was developed in the 1940s, it was a wonderful protection for millions of people.  The number of cases of whooping cough in America dropped to less than 5000/year.Then the vaccine was changed in the 1990s.  In an effort to decrease side effects, the vaccine was changed.  It has taken several years to recognize the increased number of children getting sick with the whooping cough was, in fact, a significant increase.  Over the past few years the number of cases of whooping cough has increased.  This year’s cases number at 25,000 cases through August 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/outbreaks.html

Researchers reported this opinion in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine:  “Protection against pertussis waned during the 5 years after the fifth dose of DTaP.”  As children age (the time since their last whooping cough shot, gets longer, the protection decreases.  Many of the children getting whooping cough have received the recommended vaccine shots.  New England Journal of Medicine, “Waning Protection after Fifth Dose of Acellular Pertussis Vaccine in Children,” http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200850

So now what?  Talk with your family doctor/pediatrician for guidance.  Some of the recommendations involved a second booster shot vs. development of a new vaccine (not available yet.)