In 1914, the first whooping cough vaccine appeared, which in the 1940s was combined with a tetanus and diphtheria toxoid, commonly known as DTP. Since then, there has been a consistent decrease in the incidence of the disease. The vaccine is about 80% effective in preventing serious illness and death from whooping cough.
The downside is that the vaccine provides protection for 5-10 years after the last dose of the full vaccination course. The second problem is how to prevent its side effects.
However, vaccines are not only vital for children and adolescents, but are highly recommended for the active and elderly.
WHY IS THE WHOOPUS VACCINE IMPORTANT?
Whooping cough can be especially dangerous in babies under 6 months of age, who are more likely to develop problems such as:
dehydration;
difficulty breathing;
pneumonia;
convulsions (seizures).
Whooping cough is milder in older children and adults, but coughing can cause problems, including:
pain in the ribs;
hernia;
middle ear infections;
leakage of urine when coughing (urinary incontinence).
The whooping cough vaccine protects babies and children from the disease. It is given in several doses: the first three are at the age of 1 month and a half, 3 and 4 months. Reimmunization against pertussis is given at 6 months of age, 6 and 12-year-old children.
There has also been talk of vaccinating pregnant women at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy, which could protect newborns from whooping cough in their first few months of life. It is wishful thinking for the time being and should not be placed immediately before birth.
Many pregnant women in Bulgaria want to get the vaccine, but for now vaccines are not provided for them, Dr. Miroslav Spasov informed bTV news.
IS THE WHOOPUS VACCINE EFFECTIVE?
When we talk about protection against whooping cough, the diphtheria vaccine is often mentioned because they are available in combination form. Diphtheria, like whooping cough, is spread by airborne droplets and can also have serious health consequences.
Interestingly, despite decades of vaccination, there are still cases of whooping cough. Why does this happen? One factor is that modern pertussis vaccines do not protect against infection. This means that vaccinated people can be carriers of the bacteria without showing symptoms and spreading the disease to others.
Medical experts in our country reassure us that if the child has all the vaccinations, even if he gets infected, he will get over the disease with milder symptoms and hospital treatment will not be necessary.
Vaccines are an effective means of controlling disease, but they do not always provide complete protection. This underlines the importance of constant efforts to improve pertussis vaccines, bTV recalls.
