Children’s persistent coughs may be pertussis
Mark Clarke/Science Photo Library
Whooping cough should be considered |
Almost 40 per cent of school children in the UK who visit their GP with
a persistent cough have evidence of whooping cough infection, even though
they have been immunised, a study has revealed (BMJ
Online First, 7 July 2006).
Researchers tested 172 children aged between five and 16 years with a
cough lasting 14 days or longer and found that 64 (37.2 per cent) had
evidence of recent pertussis.
Over 85 per cent of them had been fully
immunised.
The researchers point out that while the study was being conducted the
pertussis immunisation policy in the UK was changed. “Whether the
most recent alteration to the UK vaccine schedule will shift the age
of pertussis infections upwards without fully protecting immunised children
against the disease remains to be seen,” they say.
The researchers suggest that prescribers should be alert to the possibility
of a whooping cough diagnosis. “A secure diagnosis will allow GPs
to give parents an indication of the likely length of cough and prevent
them prescribing unnecessary drugs for asthma or referring children for
further investigations.”
In response, the Health Protection Agency said in a statement: “Inactivated
vaccines for bacteria usually become less effective over a period of
several years. However, the vaccine protects the very youngest babies
very well. It is babies less than six months old who are most at risk
from dying from whooping cough and protecting them is the main purpose
of the vaccination programme.”
Pneumococcal vaccine Pneumococcal
vaccine is to be added to the childhood
vaccination programme from
September. Children up to the age of two years will be offered
the vaccine when they start their routine vaccinations or as part of a catch
up campaign. |
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader