BOSTON, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) supports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) universal pertussis immunization recommendations made today for adolescents ages 11-18. These recommendations will help protect adolescents against pertussis, or whooping cough, and may help counter the rising incidence of the disease in this country.
The committee also discussed pertussis in adults and introduced potential strategies for vaccination in this group. VNAA looks forward to additional committee discussions about adult immunization.
VNAA is particularly concerned about pertussis in adults, both for its membership and the adults it serves. VNAA is the official national association for more than 415 community-based Visiting Nurse Agencies. Its nearly 150,000 health care professionals may be at higher risk for acquiring and transmitting pertussis because of their exposure to both infected and susceptible individuals. VNAA also is concerned with older adults because they too are at risk for pertussis and may experience complications such as pneumonia, rib fracture and seizures, and even death.
“The Visiting Nurse Associations of America is encouraged by the committee’s recommendations for prevention of pertussis in adolescents,” said Carolyn Markey, president and chief executive officer of VNAA. “Our member VNAs’ mission is to promote wellness and disease prevention in their communities. Many VNAs presently provide adolescent immunizations to prevent such diseases as hepatitis and meningococcal meningitis. With these new recommendations, VNAs have the support of this committee to urge the addition of pertussis immunization. In addition, though, we must all recognize that vaccination of adults, including healthcare professionals, will be critical to ultimately halting the spread of this highly contagious disease.”
Pertussis is the only vaccine-preventable disease on the rise in the United States. Preliminary figures from CDC indicate that there were nearly 19,000 reported cases of pertussis in 2004, a 63 percent increase over 2003 and the highest number of case reports in four decades. Among adults aged 20 years and older, the number of reported cases of pertussis nearly doubled to 5,365 cases in 2004 from 2,854 cases in 2003.(i)
Pertussis immunity from early childhood vaccinations typically wanes by adolescence. In fact, adolescents and adults now comprise about two-thirds of all cases. These individuals may suffer from a severe and prolonged cough, vomiting and complications, as well as disrupted home and school routines. Some have relatively minor symptoms, but all adults and adolescents with pertussis are capable of spreading the infection to vulnerable populations, particularly infants who are too young to have been fully immunized.
About VNAA
The Visiting Nurse Associations of America is the official national association for non-profit, community-based Visiting Nurse Agencies, who care for and treat approximately 4 million patients each year. The nation’s network of 415+ Visiting Nurse Associations employ nearly 150,000 healthcare professionals, and share a non-profit mission to provide cost- effective and compassionate home healthcare to some of the nation’s most vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly and individuals with disabilities. The VNAA has a wide range of resources available on its award-winning website about home healthcare and things to ask about when considering home healthcare. Click http://www.vnaa.org to locate a VNA near you.
(i) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases. Pertussis Disease Information. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/incidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/pertussis_t.htm . Accessed April 8, 2005. Contact: Jean Ellis 617-737-3200
Visiting Nurse Associations of America
CONTACT: Jean Ellis, +1-617-737-3200, for Visiting Nurse Associations ofAmerica
Web site: http://www.vnaa.org/
