The whooping cough vaccine is a routine part of the immunization schedule for most kids however there is new information about the vulnerability of kids to whooping cough even after being vaccinated.
The other concern regarding vaccines is their storage at the right temperature and their use within their date of expiry.
Whooping cough booster dose is recommended
Pertussis or whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection. The 2010 outbreak of this infection revealed that kids between the ages of 8 and 12 were vulnerable to it even when they had been vaccinated against it. This seems to indicate that immunity of vaccinated kids could start to wane earlier than believed. This has led to the view that kids should receive their booster dose of the vaccine earlier.
Doctors have believed that the immunity conferred by the vaccine is about five to seven years. However it now seems likely that by the time a child gets to the age of 8 to 12, their immunity has started to decline.
For this reason, researchers are now of the view that the current vaccine schedule should be revised. It is being suggested that the booster dose of the vaccine should be given earlier than is recommended at this time.
There has been a close study of the outbreak of whooping cough in California in 2010 which claimed 10 lives and caused an outbreak of over 10,000 cases of pertussis.
This causes clinicians to contribute to the view that the booster dose should be given to kids when they are about 8 years of age.
Vaccine storage problems
Though many vaccines are provided under the US government program, there could be problems that result from their improper storage. Vaccines that are not stored at the proper temperature (many require refrigeration for instance and for some that may be too cold), or those that are past their expiration date could be problematic.
Vaccine such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles and meningococcal disease are routinely offered to kids. They may not provide adequate protection against the disease they are supposed to offer immunity against because of this improper storage.
So when parents look to vaccinating their child it is best to stick as closely to the recommended schedule as possible. It is also important to make sure that the vaccine being used is not past its expiration date and that the vaccines had been stored hygienically, at the right temperature and in the right way.
