Effects of Whooping Cough Shots Wane Faster Than Earlier Thought

Whooping Cough Vaccine Found Less Effective

Whooping cough outbreaks in the United States and elsewhere might be caused by a vaccine that is now believed to be less effective than previously predicted.

According to a study of 15,000 children in California, 80 percent of those who received the whooping cough vaccine eventually developed the disease. Last year, there were more than 9,000 cases in California alone where ten babies died from the bacterial infection.

The majority of those who developed the condition had their last booster dose three years ago or more, leading to the conclusion that kids' resistance to the bacteria have significantly waned during the gap, putting them at risk, and eventually getting them sick.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the whooping cough vaccine is expected to be less effective as time goes by but said the new study revealed a much faster decline of the vaccine's effectiveness.

It is recommended that babies get their first whooping cough shots at age 2 months, followed by four more shots with the last one to be given between 4 and 6 years of age. A booster dose is not recommended until they reach 11 or 12 years of age. Now the new study has added to the debate of whether or not children needs their boosters much earlier.

The study was presented Monday at the American Society for Microbiology in Chicago by Dr. David Witt of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Rafael, California.

Whooping cough, otherwise known as pertussis can cause severe coughing in children. A characteristic "whooping" sound is heard during a cough and the condition can lead to complications and death.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday September 21 2011, 8:35 AM EST. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0