This article is called “Pertussis Epidemic-
Washington, 2012.” It was
published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on July 20, 2012 and
can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6128a1.htm. The article outlines the recent
increase in pertussis cases in the US, specifically in Washington, and the
reason this might be occurring.
Since mid-2011, Washington has had an increased
amount of cases of the pertussis epidemic. The Washington State Secretary of Health declared a
pertussis epidemic on April 3, 2012. By June 2012 the number of cases increased by 1,300%
reaching a total of 2,520 cases which was the highest report since 1942.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is very contagious and
can be potentially deadly, especially to infants. Children younger than 1 year, children 10 years old, and pregnant
women are at the highest risk. The
increase in cases also highly affects 13-14 year olds. Pertussis is commonly vaccinated very
early and is the most effective strategy for prevention of infection, but it’s
not foolproof. When the medical
records of those affected were found the results showed that depending on age
group the vaccine could be anywhere between 75.8% and 93.2% effective. Unvaccinated children have at
least an eightfold greater risk for pertussis than children fully vaccinated.
Cases of pertussis in the US reached historic lows in
the 1970s. However, the number of
cases has been significantly increasing over the past few years. This evidence reflects national trends
and suggests early warning of immunity from a-cellular vaccines, like the
pertussis vaccine. A-cellular and
whole-cell vaccines both work very well in the first 2 years after vaccination,
but recent changes strongly suggest shortened length of protection. Although
vaccinated children can develop pertussis, they are less infectious, have
milder symptoms and shorter illness duration, and are at reduced risk for
severe outcomes.
This article was very interesting because the vaccine
to prevent pertussis exists, but it doesn’t always work. After I receive a vaccination I have no
fear of contracting the illness I was supposedly just protected from. But according to this article the chance of contracting
pertussis, even with a vaccine, increases every year.
Lately on television there has been a lot of
commercials urging parents to learn the signs of whooping cough so they are
able to recognize the initial signs in their child. Because of these heart-breaking commercials this article resonated
with me very much.
Even though I'm not a parent, these commercials also strike me as heart breaking. I was intrigued by your choice of article because I have heard of whooping cough, but I was not quite clear on what it really was. I am also even more intrigued because I know that many young children are affected by this disease.
ReplyDeleteI think it is really scary that the vaccine for this disease does not always work. It makes me wonder why doctors would offer a vaccine that is no always one hundred percent effective, and if there are other vaccines for other diseases that are also not truly effective? I also found it interesting that I personally have not seen any increase in whooping cough, but maybe I'm just not listening to the biomedical news hard enough.
Michela,
ReplyDeleteThis article seemed very interesting and informative, especially for unaware parents. It is scary to think that some medical commercials may be exaggerating the vaccine's effectiveness in order to gain profit. I have also noticed an increase in awareness for whooping cough, or pertussis, and had wondered what it was. I'd be interested to understand what exactly this disease is, why it is so harmful, and how it effects the human body.
I agree with Kaila that it is a scary thought that the vaccine is not always effective. It is a believable thought though. We learned in class how the smallpox vaccine sometimes was not 100% effective. Interestingly, the last noted case of smallpox was in a man who had already been vaccinated. This proves that vaccines have some margin of error in their effectiveness. But, aside from the negativeness of the topic, I think it is still very important to create awareness of public health measures for hopefully eradicating the disease. I think it would be a good idea for researchers to continue advertising for vaccinations, yet at the same time, they should continue to test and make sure they have the most effective vaccine for whooping cough.
This article really interested me as well, I always heard of whooping cough, but I was never really sure how much it effected infants. It is crazy to think that the vaccines that are available not for it don't always work. Also, knowing that whooping cough is deadly to infants is very upsetting to hear. No parent would wish this disease upon their child, it is heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteYou would think now-a-days having all of the technology and advances that we have, they would be able to come up with a vaccines with a greater opportunity for success. Knowing that the vaccines don't always work is a worrying thought. We know from learning in class about vaccines and herbal medicines that people did all they could to come up with vaccines that will be most successful. I hope that one day they will be able to get a vaccine that is 100% effective and can rid this disease forever!
I was very interested by the article. While I personally have never contracted the virus, and likely received the vaccine at an early age, several of our classmates did get the disease at some point over the last several years. I would be very worried for the safety of children, and cannot imagine the heartbreak of a parent who accidentally spread the disease to their child.
ReplyDeleteI am especially worried that the vaccine available to save lives may not work properly, and that cases can still happen no matter how secure a person. How can the public trust in such institutes as the CDC if the vaccine they support has been shown to be occasionally ineffective? The vaccine should be altered to make it more potent and restore the faith of the American people in their doctors.
Hey Michela,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to reiterate what others have said about there being a lot of Pertussis awareness lately on television.What i'm wondering is, why the sudden spike in interest for this particular disease? Was there as much concern 10, 20 years ago? Your article said that even with a vaccination, chances of contracting the virus rise each year, which is a scary statistic for most people, especially new parents. Is this because vaccinations have become less reliable? Has the disease evolved to fight heavier doses of vaccination? I feel like more time should be spent researching to find out.
I have a lot of sympathy for childhood diseases, especially ones like this, which can so easily be spread from mother/father to child through loving contact. I used to babysit for a family with 4 children under the ages of 10, and when i could come over with a cold, the parents were always extremely nervous that i would pass it to their children. I don't blame them, because their bodies are so susceptible to disease! This article resonated with me because it makes me sad to think of sick children, and i hope that more awareness of the disease will help to find a better vaccine or even a cure for it.
This article was very interesting to read. I really liked what you had to say. It does make me personally wonder if all the vaccines I receive myself are going to protect me in the long run from the disease. Actually, I have a co-worker who received all three of the HPV Vaccine and still contracted the HPV virus.
ReplyDeleteThis article probably makes people wonder if there is really any point in vaccinating their children. I am also interested that whooping cough has been escalating over the years. You would think that by now we would have a cure for the disease as a whole. This was a very good article with great statistics that are very surprising.