The Cocoon Strategy: Does it work for Latin American countries?

To the Editor: We read with interest the report by Esolen and Kilheeney1 about the mandatory pertussis immunization campaign for health care workers (HCWs) in their health system.1 They assert that this intervention was implemented because nonimmune adults play a significant role in transmitting the disease and their vaccination prevents it. We agree and we would like to strengthen their argument with the idea that it is also known that non-HCW adults and adolescents are reservoirs of the bacteria and a potential source of infection, especially for infants younger than age 2 months who are unprotected and at higher risk of lethal disease because schedules all over the world initiate pertussis vaccination during the sixth week of life and beyond.2

Pertussis incidence has risen worldwide during the past few years,3 and obviously has reached Peru, which received a national epidemiologic alert during August 2012.4 Comparing cases reported with 2011, the final 2012 number was greater than double. This represents a high risk for the development of a wide epidemic in Peru.
Authors: Cáceres Mejía, Brenda; Pereyra Elías, Reneé; Suárez Ognio, Luis
Source: Am J Infect Control
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10757/324587