By Lara Fominoff @fomsy1 on Twitter

Pertussis booster clinics for children in higher risk age bracket wrap up

Aug 31, 2017 | 10:53 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Children between the ages of 10 and 12 have been getting Pertussis, or whooping cough in some cases, even if they have been already immunized.
 
That’s why many parents in the South Health Zone with children in those age brackets have been getting calls and automated messages from AHS, asking them to take their children to the special clinics ahead of the beginning of the school year.
 
The clinics began August 21, and wrap up today (August 31).
 
Dr. Lena-Deri Gillespie says because the effectiveness of the Whooping Cough vaccine in particular wanes over time, they decided to  set up the booster clinics for kids.
 
“One thing we saw in this oubreak, and this is our zone data specifically, was that in the 11 and 12 year old age group, we started to see a small peak of disease in children who would be otherwise considered fully immunized and up to date.
 
“It’s very important to still be clear,”she explains,”that the most at risk people are still people who are not immunized. And it’s not that the 10 and 11 year olds are at the highest risk, it’s just that even when they’re vaccinated, that’s the age when we started to see a little more disease.”
 
But Deri- Gillespie says they are still seeing most cases in those who have never had the vaccine.
 
And she has a message for those who do not get immunized because they either choose not to get the vaccine, or who believe that because others are protected, that means they are as well.
 
“There are a couple of problems with that, beyond advocating for our own social responsibility and putting your well being in the hands of others. It has moral issues that people need to address for themselves.
 
“Beyond that, there are scientific issues we need to talk about. Herd immunity works only works when there’s a certain level of vaccine coverage. But if we’re not getting to that level, we’re not any of us going to enjoy the benefits of herd immunity. Another thing to keep in mind is that with Pertussis in particular, the reason we see this waning immunity, is that we use an acellular vaccine that we know is good when you get the booster. About 90 per cent effective. But it doesn’t last forever. So if you’re not vaccinated, you’re always going to be at risk.”
 
Many of the children she says in the 10-12 age group got the vaccine as very young children, and its effectiveness has started to decline.
 
The Pertussus outbreak was declared in June and began in areas like Fort Macleod and Coaldale where immunization rates can be very low, and has since spread to larger urban areas like Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Other areas in the province, especially in central Alberta are also seeing higher numbers, although none as high as those in the south zone. The outbreak now numbers 639 across the province, with 324 reported cases in the south zone alone.
 
Deri-Gillespie is hoping when children return back to school,  parents and teachers also remind them of the importance of hand-washing, not sharing drinks or food, and above all, if their child becomes ill, to keep them at home.
 
“These measure seem simple, but they’re really important. We need to rely on that, as well as immunization so we can get the outbreak under control.”