Whooping Cough kills 23 children in Colombia

 Posted by on November 10, 2012  No Responses »
Nov 102012
 
Whooping Cough kills 23 children in Colombia

So far in 2012, whooping cough has killed 23 children under 5 years of age in Bogota, Colombia, nearly doubling the number of fatalities from last year ( 14 victims ), it is being reported. The majority of the victims has been in children under 1 year of age, highlighting the danger this disease poses to infants. Pertussis has been making a sort of resurgence worldwide lately, with higher than normal incidence being reported in many countries, which is a worrying development. The causes of the increase are still unclear; partly, the new, acellular vaccine DTaP seems to provide shorter span protection ———->FULL ARTICLE

Whooping Cough outbreak sickens over 140 people in Canada

 Posted by on March 1, 2012  No Responses »
Mar 012012
 
Whooping Cough outbreak sickens over 140 people in Canada

A whooping cough outbreak in British Columbia, Canada has sickened more than 140 people since December, prompting Canadian Health authorities to issue a warning. Hotspots  include the Fraser Valley, Hope, Chilliwack and Agassiz areas. If you are traveling to the area make sure you have received your booster shot, and especially if traveling with children make sure they are up-to-date with their DTaP vaccine. Pertussis can be particularly dangerous if caught by a young child, especially a baby who hasn’t had a chance to be vaccinated yet. Related articles Whooping cough spreading in B.C.’s Fraser Valley (cbc.ca) Spread of whooping cough in Fraser ———->FULL ARTICLE

American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Pertussis Booster Vaccine Guidelines

 Posted by on September 27, 2011  2 Responses »
Sep 272011
 
American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Pertussis Booster Vaccine Guidelines

Pertussis, a.k.a. whooping cough is a nasty disease. It is particularly merciless with our youngest. Last year in California 10 babies died, of which 9 were under 2 months of age and were thus too young to be vaccinated with the first of the 5 doses of the DTaP vaccine. Thus, it is imperative that we do all we can to protect the youngest in our midst from this deadly disease. In line with this need for extra protection for our children, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidelines about the use of the pertussis booster (Tdap) vaccine. In light of ———->FULL ARTICLE

Whooping Cough Vaccine Protection Might Wane Sooner Than Previously Thought

 Posted by on September 22, 2011  1 Response »
Sep 222011
 
Whooping Cough Vaccine Protection Might Wane Sooner Than Previously Thought

According to new research by Dr. David Witt, presented at the American Society for Microbiology conference in Chicago on Monday, the protection conferred by the whooping cough vaccine, as currently administered might wane quicker than previously thought. His study suggests that the vaccine’s protection might considerably wane as soon as 3 years after receipt of the last dose. The study looked at 15,000 children in Marin County, California, including 132 who got whooping cough last year. It found that children who had gone three years or more since the last of their five original shots were up to 20 times ———->FULL ARTICLE