Vaccinated children make up two-thirds of Pertussis cases

Last summer, California declared an epidemic of pertussis (whooping cough) infections. What they didn't make perfectly clear is that two-thirds of the pertussis cases were children who were fully up to date on their vaccinations. Everyone knows that vaccines aren't 100% effective, but two-thirds??? The answer to this, of course, is that the bordatella pertussis bacteria is becoming resistant to the vaccine...not that the vaccine simply just doesn't work. No one will ever tell you that the vaccine doesn't work, because then, why would you get one? If it was confirmed that vaccines didn't really work, why would you vaccinate your children?


Here is a graph showing the vaccination status of all those reported as infected with pertussis at that time:

Above:
UTD = up-to-date with age appropriate pertussis vaccinations by immunization record review or parent report

NUTD = not up-to-date with age appropriate pertussis vaccinations

PBE = personal belief exemption reported by parent and/or physician

UNK = unknown

TDAP DUE = any child 11-18 years old who had only 5 pertussis containing immunizations with no Tdap noted
(source: San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency)

Excerpt from this article, taken from the KPBS website:
  

When KPBS asked the CDC why it believed so many vaccinated people in San Diego county contracted whooping cough - nearly two out of three people - the agency provided a written statement. The CDC says statistically, higher vaccination rates increases the probability a sick person will have been immunized.

The CDC says the data do not indicate the vaccine is ineffective.

What? Really?


Another excerpt taken from an article on North County Times
Full article here.

Sick despite innoculation 


KPBS and the Watchdog Institute requested information from 19 California counties most affected by pertussis. Nine counties supplied pertussis case information and vaccination history. In all but Stanislaus County, more than half the people sick with whooping cough had been immunized.

As of the end of October, and in cases where immunization history was known, data showed: 83 percent of the people with whooping cough in Fresno had been vaccinated. In San Luis Obispo, 76 percent were up to date on their immunizations. In San Diego, 68 percent were up to date.

Public health experts say the surge of the disease is cyclical, with increased diagnoses every two to five years.

"And that tells us bordetella pertussis is circulating today exactly as it did in the prevaccine era," Cherry said. "The main reason is increased awareness," he explained. "People, particularly public health people, are much more aware, and that trickles down."

Cherry and Netherlands scientist Mooi agree that immunity provided by vaccines wanes over time. But, they disagree over how long immunity lasts, and whether a mutated strain of pertussis is exploiting waning immunity.

Package inserts included with the two most common pertussis vaccines in the U.S. state they are 85 percent effective. Cherry, who was involved in the efficacy studies when the vaccines were licensed by the FDA, estimated the efficacy is between 70 and 80 percent.

Mooi said there's no way to know how effective the vaccines are because they haven't been tested against the new strain.

"The vaccines have less efficacy than many people believe," he said.