Editorial: New thinking on a vaccine
A nurse draws whooping cough vaccination before giving an injection to a student at Inderkum High School in Sacramento, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2011) Credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncedlli
36That's how many months whooping cough vaccinations remain effective, according to a preliminary study by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. Whooping cough is very contagious, although rarely fatal except in babies too young to be vaccinated. In New York, whooping cough vaccination is required to enroll in school, unless parents sign an affidavit refusing, and then again before sixth grade. More research is needed, but doctors say if the results hold up, requiring another booster shot around third grade makes sense. hN
