Whooping Cough Epidemic Spreads Over Several States

When I was growing up, several childhood diseases such as polio, measles and mumps, faded into obscurity. Now another childhood disease, whooping cough (pertussis) is unfortunately, making a strong comeback.Some of my patients have expressed concern about whooping cough and it's vaccine.The latest outbreak can be traced to 2010 California, which has presently had the highest number of whooping cough cases in 55 years. It has since spread to a number of other states including South Carolina, New York, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota.In an article from the journal "Pediatrics reports that the high number of children who were intentionally unvaccinated also contributed to the rapid spread of the disease". The reason for this, cites a study in USA Today was that "parents in California can obtain exemptions if all or some immunizations are contrary to their beliefs, whether religious or philosophical."As I have told my patients, the anti-whooping cough vaccine is safe for all children and most adults under 65. I urge all of them to get it. Pertussis has never completely gone away and it reappears cyclically every three to five years.The CDC's bulletine of vaccine recommendations are as follows: "1) for young children, five doses of the vaccine called DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis) given at 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months, and 4-6 years; 2) for those 11 through 18, the CDC recommends one booster dose of Tdap; and 3) adults 19 through 64 should get a dose of Tdap."Have more questions on immunology and vaccines and live in the NYC area? Feel free to contact my office for a consultation at 212-247-7447.