The whooping cough vaccine given to babies and toddlers loses
much of its effectiveness after just three years - a lot faster
than doctors believed - and that could help explain a recent
series of outbreaks in the U.S. among children who were fully
vaccinated, a study suggests. The study is small and
preliminary, and its authors said the results need to be
confirmed through more research. Nevertheless, the findings are
likely to stir debate over whether children should get a booster
shot earlier than now recommended. "I was disturbed to find
maybe we had a little more confidence in the vaccine than it
might deserve," said the lead researcher, Dr. David Witt, chief
of infectious disease at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in
San Rafael, Calif. Witt presented his findings Monday at the
American Society for Microbiology conference in Chicago. The
study was done in California, where whooping cough vaccinations
are a hot-button issue. The state had a huge spike in whooping
cough cases last year, during which m