Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.

------------------------------------------------------------

April 29, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Whooping Cough Makes a Global Comeback"

Calgary Herald (www.calgaryherald.com) (04/28/02) P. A16; Ross, Emma

Scientists reported Saturday at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Milan that pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise again throughout the world.  Researchers are uncertain as to why the disease is making a comeback, but they suspect it is because the virus has figured out a way to overcome the vaccines that have controlled it for decades, and they think protection from immunization may wear off after a few years.  Infectious disease experts also believe that many people are carrying the disease unknowingly, thus possibly spreading it to infants who have not yet been vaccinated.  There were 7,796 cases of the disease in the United States in 1996, the highest number of cases since 1967.  In countries where the vaccine is not widely available, pertussis is still a major cause of death among children.  Every year, there are approximately 51 million cases of the disease in poor countries, with 600,000 deaths.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.