Why Pertussis is Making a Comeback

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/why-pertussis-is-making-a-comeback/?ref=health&_r=0

Notes/

_ In recent years, there have been several outbreaks reaching numbers not seen since the 1950s.

_ A recent study from California confirms what earlier reports have suggested: that the newer pertussis vaccine, reformulated to be safer and have fewer side effects than the older version, just isn’t as effective.

_ The new vaccine provides reasonable short-term protection during the first year, but the protection wanes over the next few years

_ “The levels at which it’s occurring now haven’t been seen in at least 50 years,” Dr. Klein said.

Summary /

In recent years, there have been several outbreaks reaching numbers not seen since the 1950s.“The biggest driver is waning immunity from our vaccines,” said Tami Skoff, an epidemiologist with the division of bacterial diseases of the C.D.C. “The protection doesn’t last as long as we originally thought it would.”

Pertussis had never been eradicated. Having the disease does not confer lifelong immunity. But the last time there were more than 40,000 infections in the United States was in 1959. That was down from a high of more than 265,000 infections in 1934. By 1976.