Hot Topics - Diseases and vaccines - Whooping cough/DPT vaccine

Hot Topics - Diseases and vaccines - Whooping cough/DPT vaccine

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The Topics: *Alternatives *Big pharma *Big trouble *Conferences *Conflict of interest *Diseases and their vaccines *Legal/political *Miscellaneous *Research  *Vaccine-related issues

Diseases and vaccines - Whooping cough/DPT vaccine

March 1-7, 2004

►March 3, 2004 - We fight on - Northwich Chronicle via Liverpool Daily Post via http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk - "A FAMILY who have been fighting for answers for more than 30 years say they will never give up hope of getting justice for their daughter...Fred and Pat Pye, of King George Avenue, Northwich, claim their daughter Debbie was left severely disabled when she was given a DPT injection, a fore-runner of the MMR vaccine, in the late 1960s...Now the couple have taken their fight to the next level, writing to Conservative Party leader Michael Howard in a bid for justice for them and the other 500 families in the region who have found themselves in the same situation."

►July 2001 - Whole-Cell but Not Acellular Pertussis Vaccines Induce Convulsive Activity in Mice: Evidence of a Role for Toxin-Induced Interleukin-1 in a New Murine Model for Analysis of Neuronal Side Effects of Vaccination - journal article (Infection and Immunity) - "Our findings provide the first direct evidence of an immunological basis for pertussis vaccine reactogenicity and suggest that active bacterial toxins are responsible for the neurologic disturbances observed in children immunized with Pw." 

►March 2, 2004 - Even With Vaccination, the 'Whoop' Is Back (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "Get used to it. Pertussis, better known as whooping cough, is here to stay...So are pertussis-related deaths among vulnerable infants, unless steps are taken to stem the increasing number of cases of the highly contagious disease."

February 23-29, 2004

►February 23, 2004 - Whooping woes quarantine students - Only one student officially diagnosed by Student Health despite numerous inquiries - The Cavalier Daily

February 16-22, 2004

►February 20, 2004 - Fatal Case Of Unsuspected Pertussis Diagnosed From A Blood Culture - Consumer Product Safety Commission via www.intelihealth.com - "A recent case of pertussis (whooping cough) in an elderly Minnesota woman who later died and identification of 3 additional cases in other adults in the community underline the importance of clinicians being aware that adults can get the highly contagious cough illness and they should request laboratory testing to confirm a diagnosis of pertussis."

 ►February 18, 2004 - Beaverton clinic urges parents to have their children revaccinated - The Oregonian via www.oregonlive.com - "A Beaverton clinic will begin mailing notices today to the parents of about 3,000 babies and toddlers who received a vaccine that might not be effective because it was improperly stored."

►February 18, 2004 - Big rise in whooping cough cases - Six times the number of cases of whooping cough have been reported in the Auckland region in January compared to the same time last year. - www.stuff.co.nz

February 9-15, 2004

►February 11, 2004 - Whooping Cough Comeback - www.wivb.com - "When was the last time you heard of someone with whooping cough? The disease became nearly non-existent with the vaccine but as News 4's Victoria Hong reports, the childhood killer has started making a comeback...It is extremely contagious and though anyone is susceptible, it is most dangerous in infants 6 months and younger because they haven't been completely immunized...Though treatable with anti-biotics, the push is on for a vaccine for teens and young adults. That, Dr. Judelsohn says would rid us of whooping cough for good and help keep babies like Sam and Nick healthy."

Comment:  Although it is true that the DTP/DTaP vaccine(s) are not recommended before two months old, the fact is that whooping cough is simply more dangerous to babies than to older children, vaccinated or not.  And while it may be a laudable goal to rid the world of whooping cough (depending on the other health consequences of doing so), where is the data to support the notion that vaccinating teens and young adults would rid the world of the disease for good?

January 26 - February 8, 2004 (2 weeks combined due to illness)

►February 6, 2004 - Health officials confirm more than 70 cases of whooping cough in Westchester - www.news12.com

►February 7, 2004 - Whooping cough takes whopping leap in Dutchess - Cases in '04 so far equal total for '03 - Poughkeepsie Journal - "There is more than one reason for the increase, Smith said. In 2003, a new test for whooping cough became available...As a result, some cases that might have gone undiagnosed were identified...Most children are vaccinated against whooping cough, although state law does not require the vaccination to enter school...The vaccine is 80 to 85 percent effective and can only be given to those 7 years old and younger. Its effectiveness wanes after five years."

►February 5, 2004 - DTP vaccines: alum deemed to be safe - A new study has concluded that DTP vaccines containing aluminum are safe. - www.commentwire.com - "Safety fears have plagued the vaccine industry in recent years, with concerns related to individual product types and vaccine ingredients, including the adjuvant alum. A recent review, published in Lancet Infectious Diseases, has concluded that vaccines containing alum are not associated with increased adverse events. This study should help to alleviate patient concerns and maintain uptake."

Comment:  Here is what I said earlier about this "review": If the studies used for the review are the same kind of short-term, small sample, no genuine control group study normally used to vindicate vaccines, don't bet on them being meaningful or proving anything, other than that you can "prove" anything you want.

January 19-25, 2004

none selected this week

January 12-18, 2004

none selected this week

January 5-11, 2004

►January 9, 2004 - Whooping Cough Increases - WYTV - "Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a serious illness in young children who can develop complications and even die from infection...The disease is increasing, almost triple the number of cases in the past two decades, and that includes the valley...Local epidemiologists think they know why."

►January 8, 2004 - Diphtheria Vaccination Important for Travelers - Reuters Health via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►January 9, 2004 - B.C. to immunize students against whooping cough - The Globe And Mail

 

►January 9, 2004 - Teens re-immunized for whooping cough - The Province via www.canada.com - "The move was prompted by the discovery that the vaccine administered to young children tended to wear off by the time they reached their teens, provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall said yesterday...'In 2000, we were seeing a marked increase in teenagers and pre-teenagers, and the disease can be more serious in them because they're older.'"

 

Comment:  This is what the CDC had to say in 1993: "The two groups currently at greatest risk for severe complications are infants aged less than 6 months (the age by which children are recommended to have received three doses of DTP) and preschool-aged children who are undervaccinated."  So, unless something drastically different is happening these days, once again an "expert" has the facts all wrong.

December 29, 2003 - January 4, 2004

none selected this week

 

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DISCLAIMER:    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.