Interesting NY Times Article on Pertussis

[hotmamacita]

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/0...me&ref=general

[japonica]

Predictable comments though...everyone, quick, get your boosters...

[Xerxella]

I like the part that says, "The rise in pertussis doesn’t seem to be related to parents’ refusing to have their children vaccinated for fear of potential side effects. In California, pertussis rates are about the same in counties with high childhood vaccination rates and low ones."

So much for herd immunity. And, it doesn't appear if the vaccine is working at all then.

[Marnica]

It's slightly more accurate than others Ive read in that it acknowledges that despite high vaccination rates, pertussis continues on unabated. There were a few things that were not accurate and potentially misleading

it may be that in the past the drugs inadvertently cured many cases of undiagnosed pertussis.

I know Im nitpicking here but antibiotics does not cure pertussis, or actually have any effect on the clinical course of the disease. In fact there is evidence that those on antibiotics are sicker for longer. What antibiotics may do is reduce the length of time one is contagious, however even this is iffy since most of the time antibiotics are not given until the second phase of the illness and by this time the person has already been contagious for quite some time.

It also annoys me that the take home message is that this can all be avoided if every one runs out and gets their boosters. Never mind that the vaccine doesn't prevent transmission. I think that is the best kept secret right now.