Epidemics do not appear to improve immunization coverage rates. This is the finding of an American study concerning the whooping cough epidemic which raged in the United States in 2011.
Despite the devastating pertussis epidemic that the United States faced in 2011, immunization rates have remained low among infants in Washington state. Fear is therefore not a good driving force for prevention, if we are to believe the results of the study presented this Tuesday, May 5 at the annual conference in Vancouver, Canada, the “Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS).
Surprising results
A team of researchers, led by Elizabeth R. Wolf compared the number of vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough on babies before and during a period of the pertussis epidemic in Washington State, United States. Surprisingly, they found no difference between the vaccination rates.
“We thought that when the risk of contagion was high, people would vaccinate more. But these results show that this is not the case, ”said Dr Wolf.
Whooping cough is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year in developing countries. A major epidemic hit the United States in 2011, from 1er October 2011 to December 31, 2012, in Washington State. This bacterial disease is very contagious, and causes violent uncontrollable coughs which can cause breathing difficulties. Whooping cough can in some cases lead to pneumonia, brain damage and death.
No impact of the epidemic on the vaccination rate
Dr Wolf and his colleagues compared the proportion of children aged 3 to 8 months who had been vaccinated before the outbreak and during the outbreak. Babies who had received one dose of vaccination at 3 months of age, at least two doses at 5 months of age and at least 3 doses at 7 months of age were considered up-to-date by the Committee. Vaccination Advisory Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It was assumed that the pertussis epidemic would have consequences for parents who would vaccinate their children more. But when you compare with the number of vaccinations before the 2011-2012 epidemic in Washington state, we don’t notice an increase in vaccinations during the epidemic, ”regrets Dr. Wolf.
This finding is all the more disappointing as “vaccination rates in the United States are still below our public health objectives”. These findings could challenge the idea that vaccine acceptance increases when the risk of contagion is high.
And in France ?
In France, vaccination against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (TdCa) is strongly recommended for babies. The first dose of TdCa vaccine is given at 2 months of age and protection is partial until the second dose is given at 3 months of age.
Although symptoms are less severe in adolescents and adults than in infants and young children, they can infect infants before they are protected by vaccination and a pertussis booster is therefore recommended at age. from 15-16 years and for all adults. Vaccination against pertussis is also recommended for pregnant women, between the 24th and the 32th week of pregnancy, which allows the baby to be protected from birth.
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