Whooping cough vaccine protection wanes fast Health experts say
2012 is shaping up to be the worst year for whooping cough in
more than five decades. Most children receive five doses of the
combined diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine. A
newer version of the whooping cough vaccine doesn’t last as long
as the older version. Experts think that has contributed to the
increase in cases across the nation. The current available
vaccines are the safest that we have ever had and they do
protect against pertussis. Some 26,000 cases of whooping cough
had been reported to the CDC - -twice as many cases as were
reported by this time last year. There is an average of 1,000
new cases a week right now. The rise has been greatest among
children between the ages of 7 and 10. A booster shot of
pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria vaccine, known as Tdap, is
recommended for pre-teens and unvaccinated adults. Most whooping
cough deaths happen in young babies who have not been
vaccinated. Whooping cough is a disease th