On the Edge: Whooping Cough & Pertussis Vaccine

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From Barbara Loe Fisher and the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC):

Reports of whooping cough outbreaks and vaccine failures in California and other states this summer are nothing new. Every four to five years, no matter how high the vaccination rate is, there are reports of whooping cough increases.

The acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) was licensed for American babies in 1996. DTaP replaced an older, very reactive whole cell pertussis vaccine (DPT) that was determined to be the cause of adverse reactions that included high fever, collapse/shock, convulsions, brain inflammation, permanent brain damage, and death.

Pertussis vaccination rates in the U.S. are very high. According to the CDC, 84 percent of children under age three have received four DTaP shots. By the time American children enter kindergarten nearly every child has gotten all the CDC-recommended pertussis shots. In 2009, the CDC said that the proportion of totally unvaccinated children in America is only six hundredths of one percent (0.06). However, even with super high pertussis vaccine coverage in America and other countries like the Netherlands, Australia, Finland, and Canada, whooping cough disease cannot be prevented. There are two main reasons for this fact….

To read more with live links to references and watch a video, click here.

NVIC has updated the pertussis and pertussis vaccine section on their website. Access comprehensive information about symptoms of whooping cough; vaccine manufacturer product inserts for nine pertussis-containing vaccines; descriptions of pertussis vaccine reactions; and links to information resources to help you make a well informed decision about pertussis vaccination for yourself or your child.

Posted by Patty on August 12, 2010 • Filed under On the Edge (Thursdays)
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