Respiratory sequelae of whooping cough swansea research unit of the royal college of general practitioners

Abstract

Eight hundred and thirteen children who had had whooping cough when under 5 years of age in the 1977–9 epidemic were compared with a control group roughly four and a half years later, each child being matched by age and sex and from the same class in school. The index group showed long term respiratory sequelae of whooping cough—namely, deterioration in lung function, increase in respiratory symptoms, and increased admission to hospital for both upper and lower respiratory conditions. Asthma was significantly more common in the index group, suggesting that asthma was being regarded as a contraindication to pertussis vaccination. Only 3-5% of the asthmatic children in the index group had been vaccinated as against 29-1% of the controls. © 1985, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.