Are adults causing whooping cough epidemic?
Although there has been a steady increase in the number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases in the U.S. since the 1970s, this year, new cases are developing at an alarming rate. Here's a look at what is going on and what to do.
Are adults causing whooping cough epidemic?
Hazel Guinto-Ocampo, M.D., Nemours duPont Pediatrics/Bryn Mawr Hospital
Editor’s note: One overlooked reason for the increase in whooping cough cases in the U.S. this year: Adults who haven’t gotten their booster shots. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just 8 percent of American adults have received the Tdap booster shot since it became available in 2006. Immunity from vaccinations in childhood wanes — meaning adults can carry and pass along the infection, even if their own symptoms are mild. That’s dangerous for babies, who aren’t yet fully vaccinated. In fact, one study found that 73 percent of babies with pertussis caught it from adults.
In this blog post, emergency physician Hazel Guinto-Ocampo, M.D., reviews the current facts about pertussis — as well as advice for vaccinating kids and adults.
Although there has been a steady increase in the number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases in the U.S. since the 1970s, this year, new cases are developing at an alarming rate. The CDC has already received reports of more than 18,000 cases in 2012, more than twice as many as this time last year. This level has not been seen since 1959. In Washington state, because of the disturbing rise in the number of reported cases, a pertussis epidemic was declared in April. Other states reporting heavy pertussis activity include Oregon, Nevada, New York, Minnesota, and Kentucky. In Philadelphia, 33 cases were reported in June, compared to an average of 3 cases confirmed during the same time period in the past 5 years.
There has been an unusual increase in cases among 13 and 14 year olds in Washington, suggesting decreasing protection from the vaccine may be contributing to the epidemic.
What is pertussis?
Pertussis begins with mild cold symptoms and cough. Fever is absent or minimal. The cough becomes repetitive and comes in fits (paroxysms), with the characteristic whooping sound with inhalation, commonly followed by vomiting. The paroxysmal cough can be distressing, can interfere with sleep, and lead to breakage of small blood vessels on the eyes, face, neck, and upper chest. Symptoms gradually improve over weeks to months; the illness can last from 6-10 weeks. The sickest patients are infants less than 6 months of age, who can suffer from complications such as pneumonia, seizures, encephalopathy, and death. Ten infant deaths have been reported to the CDC so far this year.
Pertussis is highly contagious. Young babies less than 2-3 months of age, who aren’t old enough to get vaccinated, are at greatest risk of catching the disease. Older siblings, and adults who may just have a mild coughing illness, are the most common sources of infection. Pertussis is most contagious early in the course of the disease. The incubation period ranges from 5-21 days.
Neither getting ill with pertussis nor vaccination, leads to prolonged protection from getting infected.
How is pertussis diagnosed?
Pertussis is diagnosed by obtaining mucus from the nose, with suctioning or using a swab. The results are generally available in a few days.
What is the treatment for pertussis?
Antibiotics for pertussis can help make the symptoms better or shorten the illness only when given early. Treatment is recommended for all cases to limit spreading the disease to others.
How can we prevent spreading pertussis?
The recommended immunization schedule for all infants and children include regularly scheduled pertussis vaccinations (the P component of DTaP), including a booster between 4-6 years of age. Another booster (Tdap) is recommended at 11-12 years of age. Although the vaccine is not perfect, vaccinated children develop a milder, shorter, and less severe disease.
It is also strongly recommended that pregnant women and other adults and family members who are in contact with babies receive Tdap vaccine. Data from 2010 suggest that only 8.2 percent of adults had the vaccine.
All close contacts (household, daycare, and school) of pertussis cases need treatment with antibiotics to prevent acquiring the illness. Unimmunized or underimmunized contacts will also need to get vaccinated.
When should pertussis be suspected?
Pertussis should be suspected in
- any young infant with a coughing illness, especially if followed by vomiting.
- any paroxysmal coughing or prolonged coughing illness in older children, teen-agers, or adults.
- anyone who has been in contact with an infected person and develops respiratory tract symptoms within 21 days after the most recent contact.
Hazel Guinto-Ocampo, M.D., is the chief of pediatric emergency services at Bryn Mawr Hospital, and has 18 years of experience in the field of pediatric emergency medicine.
Have you had your pertussis booster shot yet?
(Mainstream proof that vaccinating adults does NOT protect infants):
"Although intuitively we suspect that immunizing adults will prevent or reduce transmission to infants, there is no conclusive evidence that this is true."
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/540240
— Patrick Thomas- (Australia ends free pertussis vaccines for adults because ‘cocooning' is ineffective in protecting kids):
"PARENTS across Australia will no longer receive free whooping cough vaccinations because it is not effective in protecting newborns from the potentially deadly illness, a parliamentary committee has heard." "The PBAC, which is totally independent and very expert, has determined that there is no clinical effectiveness of this strategy," Professor Brook said. He said this had made it clear the cocooning strategy should not be continued. "So all jurisdictions who have been in this program will be effectively ceasing the cocooning strategy as of the end of June this year." "There has been a national committee meet to look at this and to make decisions on the basis of the best scientific evidence available ... the evidence is that the strategy has not been effective."
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/states-ending-free-parent-whooping-vaccine/story-e6frfku0-1226350174856
— Patrick Thomas - (Vaccinating adults to protect children - according to scientists/studies - has NOT been proven to work):
(Excerpt): "One strategy to prevent whooping cough in young infants is to vaccinate the adults in frequent contact with them, a practice known as "cocooning." However, cocooning is resource-intensive, and studies on its effectiveness are lacking, the researchers said."
http://news.yahoo.com/whooping-cough-vaccine-may-wane-pre-teens-163731749.html?_esi=1
— Patrick Thomas - (Top-dog vaccinator admits unvaccinated not to blame):
(Excerpt): Anne Schuchat, MD, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters....."It does NOT appear that anti-vaccination sentiment among parents has contributed to either the national rise in cases or the Washington State epidemic", she says.
http://children.webmd.com/news/20120719/cdc-whooping-cough-heading-to-5-decade-high?src=RSS_PUBLIC
— Patrick Thomas - Here's a collection of mainstream news stories and studies which prove the vaccine is causing the bacteria to mutate - AND - that the overwhelming majority who contract WC are fully vaccinated:
http://www.facebook.com/WhoopingCoughVaccineIsMakingMattersWorse
Or
http://www.dailypaul.com/167931/a-collection-of-mainstream-news-reports-and-studies-exploding-the-whooping-cough-vaccine-myth
— Patrick Thomas - Thanks Patrick! I appreciate the info. People need to see the truth as often as possible to avoid regrading into fear based actions.— starlight
- Patrick - Stop with the anti-vaccine nonesense. Facebook is not a credible source for anything; Stop it. You are hurting people and spreading disease with this uninformed nonsense.— Zee77
- Quit misleading the public.
That Facebook page is a compilation of mainstream news stories and mainstream scientific studies.
None of it is from UFO or Bigfoot sites.
Aren't we allowed to compile information? Have you ever heard of storage?
QUIT POSTING RED HERRINGS !!!!— Patrick Thomas - There are going to be outbreaks of many of the diseases that had previously been eradicated in the US as illegal aliens continue to stream into the country.— catwalks
- These posts are funny. lmao. Just a quick refresher course on immunology for you laymen. Infants, ie under 2 years old, need to be immunized with protein based vaccines and not polysaccharide vaccines. This is due to the immature immune system in infants. Polysaccharide vaccines are B-cell dependent without T-cell involvement. Protein based vaccines, ie "conjugated" vaccines, are safe and extremely effective in mounting an immune response in infants. Please do your homework before regurgitating something you heard that is not factual. If you don't understand the science behind what you are reading, ask a professional. We will be glad to explain it to you.— scootch
- "Young babies less than 2-3 months of age, who aren’t old enough to get vaccinated, are at greatest risk of catching the disease."
This is why vaccinating teens/adults will help stop infants from contracting Pertussis. This is also the segment of the population that would suffer the most from getting Pertussis.
— scootch - Actually, the first dose od DTaP is at 2 months. Figure a month at least to generate a immune response. So babies up to 4 mos old or so are at risk to contract Pertussis from an infected teen or adult.— scootch
- 'CatWalks'; I concur, it's the crimigrant populace bringing these diseases in with them.— Nostromo
- Just have to like the CatStuff and Nostromo "assertions". Neither presents a shred of evidence whatsoever, but take the opportunity for an invidious swipe at the downtrodden!— BEMiller
- Whether or not the vaccine will help prevent children from contracting Pertussis, Adults should obtain the vaccine to protect themselves. I contracted Pertussis, which acted like a bad cold then a sever cough without the whoop. The symptoms started the first few days of July. Now 4 months later I still have a bad cough, which while not as severe as it was in August (when it broke ribs on two different occasions) is still chronic. This cough has pretty well debilitated me. My story is not unique. So for not other reason, adults should get vaccinated.— Patrick Hunter
