Vaccinations: Texas Hospital nation's first to use large-scale 'cocoon strategy'

[Guest guest]

Texas Hospital nation's first to use large-scale 'cocoon strategy'

against whooping cough

Protecting newborn infants is project's aim

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/tch-cfv_1012508.php

The new Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research at Texas Children's

Hospital announced that it will implement the nation's first

major " cocoon strategy " vaccination program to protect newborn

infants from the life-threatening infection pertussis, more commonly

known as whooping cough.

Whooping cough is a highly-contagious bacterial infection of the

respiratory system. While the disease can occur at any age, whooping

cough can be particularly serious and even life-threatening to very

young infants. Recent statistics show that whooping cough is on the

rise again. According to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), over 50,000 cases of whooping cough were reported

in the United States in 2004 and 2005, the largest number since the

1950s. This increase is due to an epidemic of pertussis in

adolescents and adults who have lost their immunity from their

childhood vaccines and need a booster vaccine. While this population

has less severe consequences from the infection, they are the source

of its spread to infants who are too young to be protected by their

own vaccinations.

The cocoon strategy is the process of vaccinating the baby's mother

and other adolescent and adult family members who will be in close

contact with the infant, so that the baby is surrounded by family

members who can not spread pertussis. Babies under six months old are

too young to have received all three doses of the whooping cough

vaccine, and studies show that more than 75 percent of infected

babies get pertussis from family members.

" The idea behind the cocoon strategy is that the vaccinated family

members can block transmission of the infection to the unvaccinated

or incompletely vaccinated infant, " said C. Healy, M.D., program

leader and director of Vaccinology and Maternal Immunization at the

Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research.

Through this program, Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Awareness

and Research will administer whooping cough booster vaccines, called

Tdap, to approximately 5,800 families at Houston's Ben Taub General

Hospital (BTGH), administering over 17,000 shots in the first year.

According to Dr. Healy, the cocoon strategy involves first educating

the mother and her family about pertussis and the Tdap vaccine before

administering the booster vaccine. The program team, working in

collaboration with BTGH staff, is prepared to communicate with

families in both English and Spanish. The first year of this program

is made possible by a grant from the Baylor Methodist Community

Health Fund.

" This program enables us to provide whooping cough education and

booster vaccines to adolescent and adult family members who need it,

helping protect the most vulnerable – newborn and young infants, "

said Dr. Healy. " At the same time, we will explore efficient

processes to optimize this intervention and potentially reduce

serious pertussis disease in our community. "

Using the cocoon strategy vaccination model to prevent whooping cough

has been recommended by the CDC since 2006, but has not been

implemented by health care organizations.

" We commend Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Awareness and

Research for undertaking this important project, " said Dr. Melinda

Wharton, deputy director of the National Center for Immunization and

Respiratory Diseases at the CDC. " Not only will it benefit the

families receiving the vaccine, but we are sure it will contribute to

our understanding of pertussis prevention. "

Dr. Healy said the rise in pertussis cases is largely attributed to

the fact that the vaccine most people received during childhood

eventually wears off. Adolescents and adults who do not receive a

booster vaccine are susceptible to this infection. In addition, young

infants do not have full immunity until they have received three

doses of the vaccine.

###

About the Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research

The Vaccine Awareness and Research Center at Texas Children's

Hospital promotes healthier children and families by providing

parents and health care professionals with the latest information and

recommendations on vaccines for infants, children, adolescents,

pregnant women and adults through its Web site,

www.vaccine.texaschildrens.org and by conducting research that

contributes to effective vaccine delivery models. An ongoing program,

the center is the creation of four Texas Children's Hospital

physicians who are experts in the fields of vaccine education and

research, pediatrics, infectious diseases and adolescent medicine.

About Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy

children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education

and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough

developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children's is

ranked in the top ten best children's hospitals by U.S. News & World

Report. Texas Children's also operates the nation's largest primary

pediatric care network, with over 40 offices throughout the greater

Houston community. Texas Children's has embarked on a $1.5 billion

expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a Neurological Research

Institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility focusing on high-risk

births and a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more

information on Texas Children's Hospital, visit

www.texaschildrens.org.