Anti Federalist
08-24-2012, 09:46 PM
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/08/whooping-cough-outbreak-cdc-answers-your-questions.html
Comment from viewer "McGary": "The article seems to ignore the huge migrant population of the state. This group has a deficit in vaccination against disease. Until illegal individuals are identified and treated by vaccine, a huge and growing pool of individuals, carriers within families ... are present among our population." Is immigration a factor in the latest outbreak of whooping cough?
5. Clark: It is often suggested that pertussis outbreaks can be attributed to people "importing" the disease when they come to the U.S. from other countries, but this is not the case. Prior to vaccination, there were upwards of 200,000 cases and 9,000 deaths from pertussis every year in the U.S. alone. While we have greatly reduced the burden of pertussis through vaccination, it was never eliminated. It is always present in our communities. Further, reduction in the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, including pertussis, is one of the great successes of public health. Every country vaccinates children against pertussis, and in the Americas, every country has achieved pertussis vaccine coverage of 78 percent or higher. While all people should be vaccinated on time according to the recommended schedule, under-vaccination is not the cause of the current outbreaks.
8. Question from viewer "Vaccinateornot": I'd like to see a stat. What percentage of people who get pertussis have had the vaccine, and what percent have not had the vaccine? The assumption in this article is that the unvaccinated population is spreading this disease, but no evidence is being given of that. A simple look at who is getting this disease would answer this question. I read a stat that said that if you get the vaccination, you are six times more likely to get the disease. Again, no citations or studies provided with that. We need some real stats on this to make an informed choice.
Clark: Pertussis vaccines are very effective, but they are not 100 percent effective. Vaccine protection wears off over time, so vaccinated people might still get pertussis. This is known as waning immunity. By five years, after their fifth dose of DTaP, 3 in 10 vaccinated children are susceptible again and can get pertussis. This is why the Tdap booster is recommended at age 11 or 12 years. Children who have not been vaccinated against whooping cough are at greater risk -- at least 8 times more likely -- to get pertussis than children who received all five doses of DTaP on schedule. Pertussis in an unvaccinated child can be severe at any age. More than 95 percent of U.S. children receive three or more doses of pertussis vaccines, while less than 1 percent are completely unvaccinated. Because of this, we usually find that most pertussis occurs among vaccinated people. This does not mean that the vaccine doesn't work, it just means that most people are vaccinated but protection wears off.
Comment from viewer "McGary": "The article seems to ignore the huge migrant population of the state. This group has a deficit in vaccination against disease. Until illegal individuals are identified and treated by vaccine, a huge and growing pool of individuals, carriers within families ... are present among our population." Is immigration a factor in the latest outbreak of whooping cough?
5. Clark: It is often suggested that pertussis outbreaks can be attributed to people "importing" the disease when they come to the U.S. from other countries, but this is not the case. Prior to vaccination, there were upwards of 200,000 cases and 9,000 deaths from pertussis every year in the U.S. alone. While we have greatly reduced the burden of pertussis through vaccination, it was never eliminated. It is always present in our communities. Further, reduction in the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, including pertussis, is one of the great successes of public health. Every country vaccinates children against pertussis, and in the Americas, every country has achieved pertussis vaccine coverage of 78 percent or higher. While all people should be vaccinated on time according to the recommended schedule, under-vaccination is not the cause of the current outbreaks.
8. Question from viewer "Vaccinateornot": I'd like to see a stat. What percentage of people who get pertussis have had the vaccine, and what percent have not had the vaccine? The assumption in this article is that the unvaccinated population is spreading this disease, but no evidence is being given of that. A simple look at who is getting this disease would answer this question. I read a stat that said that if you get the vaccination, you are six times more likely to get the disease. Again, no citations or studies provided with that. We need some real stats on this to make an informed choice.
Clark: Pertussis vaccines are very effective, but they are not 100 percent effective. Vaccine protection wears off over time, so vaccinated people might still get pertussis. This is known as waning immunity. By five years, after their fifth dose of DTaP, 3 in 10 vaccinated children are susceptible again and can get pertussis. This is why the Tdap booster is recommended at age 11 or 12 years. Children who have not been vaccinated against whooping cough are at greater risk -- at least 8 times more likely -- to get pertussis than children who received all five doses of DTaP on schedule. Pertussis in an unvaccinated child can be severe at any age. More than 95 percent of U.S. children receive three or more doses of pertussis vaccines, while less than 1 percent are completely unvaccinated. Because of this, we usually find that most pertussis occurs among vaccinated people. This does not mean that the vaccine doesn't work, it just means that most people are vaccinated but protection wears off.