Health Mary Mata October 4, 2011

Why Are There So Many Cases of Whooping Cough These Days?

In 2010 there were 9,100 reported cases of Whooping cough.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that in rare cases can be fatal to children. It leads to severe coughing that causes children to make a distinctive whooping sound as they gasp for breath. Whooping cough is spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others who then breath in the bacteria.

Health officials recommend that children be vaccinated against whooping cough in five doses, with the first shot at age 2 months and the final one between 4 and 6 years. Then youngsters are supposed to get a booster shot around 11 or 12. The vaccine is not fully effective until all five doses are given. The whooping cough shot is usually administered in a combination shot that also provides protection against tetanus and diphtheria (the shot is called “Tdap”).

Despite the requirement by most states that students be vaccinated before enrolling in school, there were more than 9,100 reported cases of whooping cough and 10 infant deaths in 2010, the highest amount since 1947. The reason? In infants younger than 1 year of age who get pertussis, more than half must be hospitalized, and the younger the infant, the more likely hospitalization will be needed. Of those infants who are hospitalized with pertussis about:

  • 1 in 5 get pneumonia
  • 1 in 100 will have convulsions
  • Half will have slowed breathing
  • 1 in 300 will have swelling of the brain
  • 1 in 100 will die

If kids are getting the shots, why the big increase in cases of whooping cough?

1. The vaccine may lose its potency after three years. Recently, experts have found that the vaccine given to kids may only be effective for three years, a lot less than previously thought. Remember, six years elapse before children get their booster shot at 11 or 12, which could mean they may no longer be fully protected to pertussis.

2. Adults aren’t getting booster shots. In addition to vaccinating children, anyone who cares for an infant (yes, you grandpa) also should get the shot. The older people get, the more their immunity decreases, so it’s important for adults to get regular booster shots.

3. There are still people who think the vaccine is worse than the disease. There are 20 states that allow parents to opt out of vaccinating their children because of personal belief. It’s called the “personal belief exemption”. Despite all the evidence that vaccines are safe and effective (and do not cause autism!), there are still people out there who will risk their children’s health over some misinformation from people who are not qualified to speak about this subject.

The only way to protect the public from infectious diseases like whooping cough is to get vaccinated. Parents are not only risking the health of their kids, but are also risking the health of their communities by not getting vaccinated. Parents, talk to your pediatrician to be sure your child is fully vaccinated and make sure all the adults in their lives are also vaccinated. It’s ridiculous to risk this disease when there is a safe and effective vaccine available.

References:

[Photo By UNICEF Sverige]

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