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May 3, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Illness Prompts Warning"

Denver Post (www.denverpost.com) (05/01/02) P. B1; Sherry, Allison

Whooping cough was the subject of discussion at the National Immunization Conference in Denver this week.  Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, have been increasing in recent years, and physicians believe this increase is due in part to better tracking of the disease and to waning immunity in adults. At the same time, there has been a chronic shortage of the pertussis vaccine in the United States.  Normally, physicians are supposed to give children five doses of the pertussis vaccine by the time they enter kindergarten.  Because of the shortages, public health officials are recommending that the last two doses can be skipped.  What is worrying many federal health officials, however, is the news that increasing numbers of infants are contracting the disease.  Federal health officials warned Tuesday that all infants who have been around people suffering from whooping cough should receive antibiotics, even if they are not showing any symptoms.

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