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Teens to Be Revaccinated Against Whooping Cough
Source: ERR News
By: Rikken, Kristopher
12/27/2011
Public health leaders in Estonia will implement a new state immunization plan next year to revaccinate teens against pertussis. The current diphtheria-tetanus vaccination will be replaced by the DTaP vaccine, which also protects against pertussis, the Social Affairs Ministry announced. The revaccination of 17-year-olds will continue to the end of 2012, and then will continue with 15- and 16-year-olds in 2013. “The change is due to the epidemiology of pertussis in Estonia,” said ministry national health adviser Martin Kadai. Reports of the disease have been growing in recent years, with an increasing proportion of adolescents and adults being affected. In 2008, there were 36.2 cases registered per 100,000 people, but that increased to 96.6 cases per 100,000 in 2010. In 1999, the average patient age was 8.6, but that number jumped to 20.9 in 2009.
