Vaccine may not fight new cases of Whooping Cough
By: Nikki Henderson
Updated: February 7, 2013
Researchers have discovered the first U.S. cases of whooping cough caused by a germ that may be resistant to the vaccine.
The U.S. cases are detailed in a brief report from the CDC and other researchers in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
The recent study suggests that the new whooping cough strain may be why more people have been getting sick. Experts don't think it's more deadly, but the shots may not work as well against it.
Health officials are now looking into whether cases like the dozen found in Philadelphia might be one reason the nation just had its worst year for whooping cough in six decades.
Dr. Tom Clark of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, "It's quite intriguing. It's the first time we've seen this here".
The new bug was previously reported in Japan, France and Finland.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease that can strike people of any age but is most dangerous to children. It was once common, but cases in the U.S. dropped after a vaccine was introduced in the 1940s.
