The words “whooping cough” conjure up a bygone era of gravely sick babies and desperate parents hoping their feverish, hacking children make it through the night. The devastating disease, called pertussis, is characterized by several weeks, or even months, of low-grade fever and incessant bouts of rapid coughing that have a "whoop" sound (you can listen to it here) as the child tries desperately to expel thick throat mucus. At its worst, the disease can bring on pneumonia and, due to lack of oxygen during the coughing spells, even seizures and death.
Well, it’s back. As of Aug. 21, there were 17,325 cases of pertussis reported to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2014. That's up from the corresponding time last year and, in fact, pertussis has been on the rise steadily since the 1980s, with the number of cases reaching a 50-year high (48,277) in 2012. Why would a disease that had nearly been wiped out after a highly effective vaccine was introduced in the 1940s now be making a comeback?
Experts aren’t entirely sure, but point to a variety of causes, including more parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. That failure, in turn, has allowed for the extremely contagious Bordetella pertussis bacteria to circulate more freely. In addition, new strains of B. pertussis may have developed since the current vaccine was first introduced in 1991, raising concerns that the vaccine may lose its effectiveness over time. And while the antibiotics long used to treat confirmed cases of pertussis continue to work well, some pockets of antibiotic-resistant strains of B. pertussis have been reported. (Read more about the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.)
Learn more about the vaccines children and adults need.
The CDC is now analyzing data from around the country to see if it should change recommendations for how often people need to be vaccinated or receive booster shots.
In the meantime, the advice remains unchanged: All children should have the entire five-shot series of vaccinations between the ages of 2 months and enrollment in kindergarten. Adolescents, adults, and pregnant women (ideally between 27 and 36 weeks) should get a booster shot if they’re unsure if they’ve had one—unless, of course, they’ve previously had a severe (and extremely rare) allergic reaction.
It doesn't matter much whether you get vaccinated at your doctor's office or at your local drug store. The important thing is to just get vaccinated.
—Chris Hendel
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