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PKIDs (Parents of Kids With Infectious Diseases) Commends New Recommendation For Adult Whooping Cough Immunization

Posted on: Wednesday, 26 October 2005, 21:00 CDT

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- PKIDs, Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases, applauds the new pertussis immunization recommendations for adult immunization against whooping cough, a highly contagious disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends vaccination to protect against pertussis in adults, including immunization with tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis in adults who have close contact with an infant six months of age or younger, and a tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis booster in all adults 10 years following the previous tetanus-diphtheria immunization.

"Whooping cough, medically known as pertussis, continues to spread across the United States and affect all ages. These recommendations are an important step in protecting the entire family," said Trish Parnell, executive director of the national non-profit organization. "Increased whooping cough immunization should not only lessen the incidence of infection across all age groups, but also provide protection to infants and young children from the severe and sometimes fatal effects of the disease."

Whooping cough is on the rise, and adults, who make up one-third of cases, are often responsible for the spread of disease. A 2004 CDC study reported that in cases where the disease source was identifiable, adults were responsible for more than half of pertussis cases in infants, with parents and grandparents the source for 55 percent of cases.(i) In June, ACIP recommended pertussis vaccination for adolescents aged 11-18.

Two Mothers' Stories

Pamela Durkin, from Hatboro, Pa., addressed the ACIP today about her family's experience with pertussis. She relayed how, in late 2002, she lost her seven-week-old son to the disease. At five weeks old, her son Colin was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. As his condition grew worse, he was put on life support and ultimately diagnosed with whooping cough. Colin died in the hospital two weeks later. His family didn't know about the threat of whooping cough. Colin was too young to be immunized and it's not known where he contracted the disease. It could have been anyone, which is why Pamela traveled to tell her family's story to the committee.

Late in Wendy Ellsworth's pregnancy, she developed a cough that was so severe, she couldn't breathe. A month after her daughter Brooke was born, the newborn started to cough. It became worse, and baby Brooke was rushed to the hospital where she was admitted. Brooke was transferred to a facility in Salt Lake City where whooping cough was eventually diagnosed. After nearly six weeks, Brooke began recovering and was eventually released from the hospital. She is now a healthy two-year-old toddler. Wendy not only transmitted whooping cough to Brooke, but gave it to her two older children, who suffered a milder form of the disease and recovered. Wendy is thankful her family was so fortunate.

Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Immunity from early childhood vaccinations wears off, leaving adolescents and adults susceptible to the disease. While some have relatively minor symptoms, these older groups are responsible for transmitting the disease to others. While adults and adolescents may suffer from a severe and prolonged cough, vomiting and hospitalizations, the disease is the most severe in infants who are too young to have been fully immunized. Infants are at higher risk for severe illness, complications and death. Ninety percent of unvaccinated children living with someone with whooping cough will contract it.(ii)

The number of whooping cough cases in 2004 was the highest in four decades, reaching nearly 26,000; cases in adults continue to grow at a rapid pace.(iii)

About PKIDs

PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases) is a national non-profit organization that supports families touched by chronic, viral infectious diseases including hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS. It also educates the public about effective disease prevention through the use of immunizations, standard precautions, handwashing and other strategies. PKIDs provides information about infectious disease prevention through its Web site (http://www.pkids.org/) and toll-free phone, (877) 557-5437. An infectious disease prevention workshop, designed for all ages, is available at http://www.pkids.org/idw.htm.

i Bisgard KM, et al. Infant Pertussis: Who Was the Source? Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2004; 23(11):985-989. ii Offit, P; Bell, L. Vaccines: What Every Parent Should Know; 3rd Ed., 2003; 35. iii Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases. Pertussis Disease Information. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/incidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/pertussis_t.htm. Accessed April 8, 2005. Contact: Trish Parnell: (360) 695-0293; pkids@pkids.org

Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases

CONTACT: Trish Parnell of Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases,+1-360-695-0293, pkids@pkids.org

Web site: http://www.pkids.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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