Orac has an excellent post discussing the rise in pertussis ("whooping cough") in many areas, and its correlation with easier exemption from mandatory vaccination (using a "personal belief" exemption in addition to a religious exemption, for example). I've written about pertussis previously, and a problem is that the vaccine effectiveness quickly wanes, so that adults frequently lack significant immunity. While we rarely get sick, we can be carriers of the bacterium and infect children around us. As such, new recommendations suggest that adults also should get a pertussis booster. I worry that it's only going to get worse in areas where there's so much anti-vaccine sentiment; kids not being vaccinated, parents with waning immunity spreading the bacterium, and an ever-growing incidence of disease due to Bordatella pertussis. Yes, it's just another one of those "pesky childhood diseases," but like mumps, measles, and chickenpox, people often forget the scourge it once was--and has the potential to be in the future.
Aetiology
Discussing causes, origins, evolution, and implications of disease and other phenomena.
Profile
Tara C. Smith is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology. Her research involves a number of pathogens at the animal-human nexus. She also writes for The Panda's Thumb and previously for WIRED SCIENCE's Correlations. Please note the views expressed on this site are Dr. Smith's alone and may not be representative of the groups mentioned above.
"...a veritable expert on tawdry cosmetic procedures gone horribly awry..."--Kevin Beck
Follow Tara on Twitter
Search
Recent Posts
- Tenured and promoted!
- Waste not, want not? Poultry "feather meal" as another source of antibiotics in feed
- June's passing
- The emergence of "nodding disease"
- Great Plains Emerging Infectious Diseases Conference--Registration Open
- Holy influenza, batman!
- The human origins of "pig" Staph ST398
- Great Plains Emerging Diseases Conference
- Infectious disease epidemiology and zombies
- MRSA in pork products: does the "antibiotic-free" label make a difference?
Recent Comments
- Jo on Scarlet fever--past and present
- Jim Thomerson on Tenured and promoted!
- vhutchison on Tenured and promoted!
- Joseph Hewitt on Tenured and promoted!
- Chris Leuthold on Tenured and promoted!
- Tara C. Smith on Tenured and promoted!
- Adrian on Tenured and promoted!
- Jason Rosenhouse on Tenured and promoted!
- J-Dog on Tenured and promoted!
- Dr. O on Tenured and promoted!
Archives
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- April 2010
- February 2010
- December 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- May 2005
Infectious Disease Series
« Viruses may influence memory | Main | Grand Rounds 3.5 »
Lax vaccination requirements = more pertussis
Category: General Epidemiology • Infectious disease • Policy • Public health • Various bacteria
Posted on: October 24, 2006 4:00 PM, by Tara C. Smith
TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/24259
Comments
Of course, little babies gasping for air is nothing more than a "healing crisis" and strengthining of the immune system for later in life. How dare the evil pharmgovernmentmedico-establishment deny parents the right to give their babies the precious gift of hospitalization and possible death? After all, the vaccine has a .00001 percent risk of serious sequalae.
Posted by: anonimouse | October 24, 2006 4:08 PM
I think I read that in Texas alone, nine people died of pertussis last year. Eight of them were infants.
You can get fined for not strapping your kids into a car seat (in most states), but not for failing to protect them against pertussis. Nutty.
Posted by: roundrobin | October 24, 2006 7:29 PM
Thanks for this - I copied and pasted this item into an email to my sister who has 4 kids and a friend who has a 7 month old. I had no idea of the vaccination of adults strategy and if I were a mom would definitely get it. Considering how much time I spend with my sister's kids and my friend's baby I may go ahead and call the Dallas County health dept and see what it would cost me to get it.
Posted by: Sandra in Dallas | October 25, 2006 1:49 AM
I read an article a few years ago about a woman who contracted pertussis as an adult. Sounded nasty and took her months to fully recover from it.
FYI - the adult tetanus booster is now available as a 3-in-1 shot that includes pertussis and diptheria boosters. The adult formulation of it is called TDaP (vs. DTaP for kids). Makes it a lot easier to stay current on adult vaccines.
Posted by: Jen | October 25, 2006 10:13 AM
I can't think of anything worse than seeing an infant coughing with enough force to break their ribs.
Posted by: Robster | October 25, 2006 11:24 AM
Robster - I'm with you on that one. After studying some research on anti-vaxers and lurking on their message boards, I've reached the conclusion that most of them are in complete denial about the severity of diseases like pertussis. One of these boards even had a thread about chicken pox and mumps parties, which they promoted as a way to "naturally" immunize their children from these diseases. These people are almost cult-like in their promotion of anti-vax pseudoscience.
Roundrobin had a good point - you have to strap your kid into an approved car seat, but there's no penalty at all for deliberately exposing them to a potentially fatal disease (never mind failing to protect them with a vaccine).
Posted by: Jen | October 25, 2006 4:48 PM
This just in. The evil flu vaccine is safe:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061024/ap_on_he_me/flu_vaccine_safety_6
I'm sure the rebuttals from the anti-vax groups will be showing up any minute now.
Posted by: anonimouse | October 26, 2006 9:51 AM