Change is in the air for whooping cough vaccine
Throughout 2010, California has been battling a whooping cough epidemic, with 6,257 confirmed and suspected cases statewide. Pennsylvania has also experienced instances of the disease, with 77 cases reported since January. A new federal study in California could result in a new vaccine to combat the recently-rejuvenated virus, also known as pertussis.There are two projects in the works. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are researching a new blood test which could be used to detect whooping cough. The CDC is also partnering with the California Department of Public Health to determine whether the pertussis vaccine which has been offered since 1997 is losing its potency more quickly than anticipated. The study was spurred by the realization that 7-to-10-year-olds who had gotten the vaccination between the ages of 2 months and 6 years are still coming down with the cough. It was believed that the vaccinations, which are given in five doses, would last the children until age 11, when a booster shot was recommended.The 1997 vaccine was a replacement for the 1940s version, which used whole cells of bacteria. In contrast, the 1997 vaccine is acellular and uses fragments of the bacteria to engage the immune system.Pertussis usually lasts for approximately 6 weeks before subsiding, although it can cause death in younger children. Common symptoms related to the cough include hemorrhages, rib fractures, and hernias. Doctors in California first declared an epidemic when ten infants died earlier in the year.
Posted on November 14th, 2010 by www.greenspangoodhealth.com
Filed under: Vaccines