Researchers have reported the first U.S. cases of whooping cough caused by a bacterium that appears to be resistant to the vaccine.
Recent surges in pertussis, the medical term for whooping cough, in recent years has been partially blamed on a version of the vaccine used since the 1990s, protection from which seemed to wane after ten or twenty years. Last year, the CDC received reports of over 41,000 cases, which included 18 deaths. This spurred a recommendation from the CDC that older teens and young adults consider getting a booster shot, and an advisory that all pregnant women get the booster.
Now, health officials are looking into whether cases like the dozen found in Philadelphia might be one reason the nation just had its worst year for whooping cough in six decades. The U.S. cases are detailed in a brief report from the CDC and other researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Evidence of a new strain possibly suggests that the number of individuals not getting vaccinated isn t the cause of the uptick in reported cases, concludes ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava. Nevertheless, the TDaP shot is still the best preventive measure we have and all those candidates for the vaccine should make sure to get it.