FW: ACELLULAR PERTUSSIS STUDIES

[Guest guest]

What the hell does he mean - safety is a wash? Does that mean he's

washing his hands of the safety issue? Does that mean that the

acellular vaccine is as dangerous as the whole cell?

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Acellular Pertussis Vaccines Give Similar Immunity

F. Kirn, Sacramento bureau

Pediatric News 32(8):21, 1998. © 1998 International Medical News Group.

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The three acellular pertussis vaccines on the market all

appear to confer about the same amount of immunity, Dr. L.

Atkinson said at a pediatric meeting sponsored by the University of

Minnesota. Additionally, all three of the currently licensed combined

vaccines with acellular pertussis continue to show that they are better

tolerated than the whole-cell pertussis vaccines, which means " no 3 a.m.

calls, " said Dr. Atkinson, a medical epidemiologist with the National

Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

in Atlanta.

The diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine

exhibits a demonstrated efficacy comparable to the whole-cell vaccine.

Most data come from Europe, he said. In those studies, the three U.S.

licensed brands have demonstrated an efficacy ranging from about 50% up

to 90% at three doses. In comparison, the U.S. data show the efficacy

rate for whole-cell vaccine at four doses, ranging from 70% to 85%.

" They are all at least as good as whole-cell vaccine if not better, " Dr.

Atkinson said.

And " safety is a wash, " Dr. Atkinson added at the meeting, also

sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of the American Academy of

Pediatrics.

The three DTaP vaccines licensed in the United States are Tripedia

(Connaught Laboratories Inc. in Swiftwater, Pa.), Acel-Imune

(Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines and Pediatrics in Philadelphia), and Infanrix

(Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals in Philadelphia). The number of

pertussis components in each varies, from two in Tripedia to four in

Acel-Imune. Two more acellular pertussis vaccines are in the pipeline,

Dr. Atkinson said. Currently, whole-cell pertussis vaccine represents

about 10%-20% of the market, Dr. Atkinson said. Most of that use is the

DTP plus Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, which is recommended

only for the fourth dose in the series, since when given earlier, there

is not a good response to the Haemophilus component.

[Guest guest]

At 10:44 AM 9/21/98 -0600, you wrote:

>From: Mom2Q <mom2q@...>

>

>

>

>What the hell does he mean - safety is a wash? Does that mean he's

>washing his hands of the safety issue? Does that mean that the

>acellular vaccine is as dangerous as the whole cell?

I didn't quite get that either? From what they say, it proves to be much

safer than the DTP...which only means " no 3am calls " . Excuse me!!! This

Dr. Atkinson needs to get his priorities strait! A child having a severe

reaction to a vaccine is no comparison to poor ole doc who gets woken

up...arrrrgh. I also find conflicting evidence when they say 50-90%

effective. What is that supposed to mean? Well, from what I can see, the

CDC and other govt agencies state about 50% and the docs and pharmacutical

companies who are pushing this vaccine claim it is up to 90% effective.

Both are some what true (I guess) but this still doesn't explain why the

most recent outbreaks of pertussis have been in highly vaccinated

populations....once again, I think we'll take our chances.

Lana

>

>********************************************************************

>Acellular Pertussis Vaccines Give Similar Immunity

> F. Kirn, Sacramento bureau

>Pediatric News 32(8):21, 1998. © 1998 International Medical News Group.

>********************************************************************

>MINNEAPOLIS -- The three acellular pertussis vaccines on the market all

>appear to confer about the same amount of immunity, Dr. L.

>Atkinson said at a pediatric meeting sponsored by the University of

>Minnesota. Additionally, all three of the currently licensed combined

>vaccines with acellular pertussis continue to show that they are better

>tolerated than the whole-cell pertussis vaccines, which means " no 3 a.m.

>calls, " said Dr. Atkinson, a medical epidemiologist with the National

>Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

>in Atlanta.

>

>The diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine

>exhibits a demonstrated efficacy comparable to the whole-cell vaccine.

>Most data come from Europe, he said. In those studies, the three U.S.

>licensed brands have demonstrated an efficacy ranging from about 50% up

>to 90% at three doses. In comparison, the U.S. data show the efficacy

>rate for whole-cell vaccine at four doses, ranging from 70% to 85%.

> " They are all at least as good as whole-cell vaccine if not better, " Dr.

>Atkinson said.

>And " safety is a wash, " Dr. Atkinson added at the meeting, also

>sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of the American Academy of

>Pediatrics.

>

>The three DTaP vaccines licensed in the United States are Tripedia

>(Connaught Laboratories Inc. in Swiftwater, Pa.), Acel-Imune

>(Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines and Pediatrics in Philadelphia), and Infanrix

>(Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals in Philadelphia). The number of

>pertussis components in each varies, from two in Tripedia to four in

>Acel-Imune. Two more acellular pertussis vaccines are in the pipeline,

>Dr. Atkinson said. Currently, whole-cell pertussis vaccine represents

>about 10%-20% of the market, Dr. Atkinson said. Most of that use is the

>DTP plus Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, which is recommended

>only for the fourth dose in the series, since when given earlier, there

>is not a good response to the Haemophilus component.

>

>

>

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