[Why still whooping cough?]
1Unité Prévention et Thérapie Moléculaires des Maladies Humaines, Centre National de Reference de la Coqueluche et Autres Bordetelloses, FRE-CNRS 2849, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris. nguiso@pasteur.fr
Abstract:
Whooping cough is a human respiratory infection, dramatic for newborns and elderly, by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis and parapertussis. Intensive vaccination of children allowed an important decrease of mortality and morbidity. However, generalization of vaccination conducted to a change in the transmission of the disease due to the short duration of vaccinal immunity and the lack of vaccinal or natural boosters. The disease affects now adolescents and adults who contaminate new-borns too young to be vaccinated. For this reason, many countries including France, decided to add vaccine boosters for adolescents and young adults.
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