Whooping cough – vaccination

Whooping cough vaccine: Why is it important?

Pertussis is an acute, bacterial infection. It mainly affects the upper respiratory tract. In the past, whooping cough was considered a childhood disease. Meanwhile, more and more teenagers and adults are getting sick.

Whooping cough is accompanied by violent, spasmodic coughing fits to suffocation attacks. Especially in infants under six months, whooping cough can be life threatening. Therefore, doctors recommend a very early vaccination (from the 2nd month of life).

Whooping cough can also cause serious sequelae. These include pneumonia, otitis media and seizures. In some cases, the lack of oxygen due to whooping cough can leave permanent damage such as paralysis, visual and hearing disorders as well as mental disorders. Particularly endangered are babies.

That’s why whooping cough vaccination is very important. It ensures that the body in a whooping cough infection can quickly fight the pathogen.

Whooping cough vaccine: What happens there

In whooping cough vaccination a so-called dead vaccine is administered. In contrast to the live vaccine, this does not contain any living bacteria, but only individual cell components of the bacteria. In the case of whooping cough vaccination these are characteristic surface structures of pertussis bacteria.

These so-called antigens can not make you sick. However, they stimulate the immune system to form specific antibodies. If the person later becomes infected with the “true” whooping cough germs, the body can fight them quickly and purposefully: the vaccinee stays healthy.

The antibodies that are produced in response to the whooping cough vaccine circulate in the body in sufficient quantity for about 10 to 20 years. As long as the vaccine protection remains upright.

In the pertussis vaccine, the vaccine is injected directly into the muscle (intramuscularly). Mostly the doctor places the syringe in the buttocks, upper arm or thigh muscle. The stitch can hurt a bit. After vaccination sufferers but rarely have complaints.

Who should get the whooping cough vaccine?

The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute recommends that everyone Children from the second month of life should receive a pertussis vaccine. Four doses of vaccine are given in succession. Then the basic immunization is complete. Later, the whooping cough vaccine should be refreshed several times.

Even with fully vaccinated children and adolescents, where the last vaccination was more than five years ago, a new source of pertussis vaccination may be useful in case of risk of infection. If a child has some direct contact with people in the same household, it may make sense to have another whooping cough vaccine.

Always more Adults get sick of whooping cough. They often infect infants and the elderly, with whooping cough can be severe and life-threatening. Therefore, the STIKO recommends since 2009, a single whooping cough vaccine for all adults. The vaccine should be administered concomitantly with vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria. A single vaccine against whooping cough does not exist.

The following people should always receive a whooping cough vaccine:

• Women with a desire to conceive before pregnancy
• Close contact persons of pregnant women in the same household and carers (for example, childminders, parents, siblings) preferably four weeks before the birth of the child
• Employees in the health service as well as in community facilities

Whooping cough vaccination: basic immunization

The STIKO recommends the following scheme for the four vaccination doses of the primary vaccination:

• The first vaccine dose is administered from the 2nd month of age, usually in the context of the 3rd check-up (U3 examination).
• The second vaccine dose is given to the child with the completed 3rd month of life.
• The third vaccine dose is given from the completed 4th month of life.
• The fourth vaccine dose is intended for the end of the first year of life (between the 11th and 14th month of life)

This concludes the primary vaccination in whooping cough vaccination.

All vaccine doses are usually given in combination with other vaccines, as a six-fold vaccine: it contains the vaccines against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B.

Refreshing the whooping cough vaccine

The whooping cough vaccine does not last a lifetime. Scientists suspect that the vaccine will last for about 10 to 20 years after a complete primary vaccination. To be further protected against whooping cough, therefore, regular booster vaccinations are needed:

• The first boost of whooping cough vaccination becomes old between five and six years recommended.
• The second booster vaccination should between 9 and 17 years respectively.
• In adulthood the whooping cough vaccine should be refreshed once.

The booster doses are administered in combination with other necessary vaccines. Frequently used is a triple vaccination against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. If necessary, the vaccine against pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus and polio are given.

Whooping cough despite vaccination?

If the whooping cough vaccine is not refreshed as recommended, the vaccine protection will be lost. If one then infects with the pertussis pathogen, one falls ill with whooping cough. This happens to many adolescents and adults who have missed booster shots.

It also happens very rarely that the whooping cough vaccine was not sufficient to prevent infection. This is the case, for example, with incomplete primary immunization. Pertussis then usually breaks out in a mitigated form.

Whooping cough vaccination: Side effects

Previously, the pertussis vaccine contained whole killed pathogens. Today, only characteristic surface structures of the pathogens are inoculated. Therefore, today’s whooping cough vaccine is much better tolerated than the old vaccine. Side effects are very rare.

Thus, after the whooping cough vaccination at the injection site a redness, swelling or small hardening can form. These local side effects usually resolve themselves within a few hours.

In some vaccines, the body temperature increases. Some feel limp after the whooping cough vaccine. These side effects disappear on their own within a short time.

Some children develop screaming the first day after whooping cough vaccination.

In the past, reactions to the pertussis vaccine were often seizures and allergic reactions. Such side effects are very rare today. They also do not lead to consequential damage.

Alternative to whooping cough vaccine?

There is no recognized alternative to whooping cough vaccination. However, if there is an acute risk of infection for close contact persons of patients, they can take preventive medication. Physicians refer to this as chemoprophylaxis. As a precaution, the same antibiotics (usually erythromycin) are given, which are also recommended for an actual illness. A Whooping cough vaccination does not replace this measure.