There have been many reports circulating about whooping cough outbreaks across the country. The standard response is that the vaccination rates are not high enough. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that the answer is so straightforward.
New research reported by Reuters reveals that whooping cough outbreaks are HIGHER among vaccinated children compared with unvaccinated children. This is based on a study led by Dr. David Witt, an infectious disease specialist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Rafael, California.
As Reuters reports: (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/03/us-whoopingcough-idUSBRE8320TM20120403)
In early 2010, a spike in cases appeared at Kaiser Permanente in San Rafael, and it was soon determined to be an outbreak of whooping cough — the largest seen in California in more than 50 years.
Witt had expected to see the illnesses center around unvaccinated kids, knowing they are more vulnerable to the disease.
“We started dissecting the data. What was very surprising was the majority of cases were in fully vaccinated children. That’s what started catching our attention,” said Witt.
This same article also admits that these vaccines have never been tested for long-term effectiveness:
“GSK has never studied the duration of the vaccine’s protection after the shot given to four- to six-year-olds, the spokesperson said.
Dr. Joel Ward at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute said it’s still important for parents to get their kids immunized, even though it doesn’t provide lasting protection from whooping cough.”
The pertussis vaccine has had problems from the beginning. Initiated in 1930, the vaccine was a closer resemblance to the actual pertussis bacteria than the “a cellular” version that we have today. This original vaccine was discontinued because of serious side effects, including permanent disability. The new version was considered a safer option and was distributed in the 1990s.
Sanofi Pasteur
It appears that the newer vaccine is not very effective at preventing whooping cough because even though vaccination rates have increased 10 fold in the past twenty years, outbreaks of whooping cough are higher than ever. Higher vaccination rates should lead to a decrease in the disease right?
Now this report adds another unsettling aspect—not only is the vaccine not doing a good job at preventing the disease, it may actually be INCREASING the chance that you will get the disease.
Whooping cough is a very serious disease and seeing your child suffer through such a terrible illness is not something that any of us want to experience. We must demand better clinical testing on these vaccines before they are put in the marketplace!
Supporting your child’s immune system is always the other side of the coin when talking about vaccination. Healthy food, fresh air, and exercise are vitally important for your child while their immune system is developing. Breastfeeding, reducing exposure to second hand smoke and environmental pollutants, limiting day care, and avoiding public places during the winter months are all good practices to implement as well. In addition, probiotics (like the ones in Colic Care!) can help to support the natural development of your child’s immune system and hopefully help them recover more quickly if they do contract a serious illness.
If you have any questions about this article, or anything our our website, please feel free to just “Ask Dr. Tara“.
