Q: Do pertussis vaccines protect for a lifetime? If Ive had whooping cough, do I still need a pertussis booster? A: Getting sick with pertussis or getting pertussis vaccines doesnt provide lifelong protection, which means you can still get pertussis and pass it onto infants. Pertussis vaccines are effective, but not perfect. They typically offer high levels of protection within the first 2 years of getting vaccinated, but then protection decreases over time. This is known as waning immunity. Similarly, natural infection may also only protect you for a few years. In general, DTaP vaccines are 80-90% effective. Among kids who get all 5 doses of DTaP on schedule, effectiveness is very high within the year following the 5th dose – at least 9 out of 10 kids are fully protected. There is a modest decrease in effectiveness in each following year. About 7 out of 10 kids are fully protected 5 years after getting their last dose of DTaP and the other 3 out of 10 kids are partially protected – protecting against serious disease. Our current estimate is that Tdap vaccination protects 7 out of 10 people who receive it. Since Tdap vaccines were only licensed in 2005, we dont yet have results on long-term vaccine protection. Were still working to understand how that protection declines over time or might differ based on which vaccine was received during early childhood (i.e., DTaP or DTP). CDC will be conducting an evaluation in collaboration with health departments in Washington and California to better understand how long Tdap vaccines protect from pertussis. The data from these evaluations will help guide discussions on how best to use vaccines to control pertussis. Keeping up-to-date with recommended pertussis vaccines is the best way to protect you and your loved ones.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:07:23 +0000
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