Whooping cough vaccine less effective over time for middle school children
A new study was published in the journal Pediatrics indicates “the protection offered by middle-school whooping cough vaccines fades with each passing year, leaving teens vulnerable to infection as they age.
The study, found that “the shot protects 69% of 11- and 12-year-old in the first year after vaccination, but within four years, just 9% of these children have sufficient protection from the infection.”
A new, more effective vaccine against whooping cough is needed, but a change in schedule might be effective until one is developed.