A recent study revealed that a seemingly successful neonatal asthma vaccine stopped being effective by adolescence.
Parents of asthmatic children may have heard of the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which, according to previous findings from the Manchester Community Asthma Study (MANCAS), reduced the risk of wheezing in children between the ages of six and 11 so long as it was administered when they were less than 12 weeks old.
That being said, News-Medical.Net recently reported that researchers conducted a follow-up study, MANCAS 2, and determined that the effects of the BCG vaccine had worn off in children whose ages ranged from 13 to 17.
"Among 1,608 respondents, those who received the vaccine had similar rates of wheezing (15.8 vs 14.3 percent, respectively) and hay fever/eczema (44.4 vs 46.0 percent) to those who did not receive the vaccine," states the source. "This was the case even when both measures were stratified for neonatal BCG vaccine, postnatal BCG vaccine (>12 weeks of age), and high-dose vaccine (due to hospital error)."
This is unfortunate news, as it would be great to find an effective way to prevent potentially debilitating asthma symptoms among children. However, the good news is that there are still other steps that parents can take to improve comfort levels among kids who suffer from chronic respiratory diseases.
In addition to seeing a physician who specializes in asthma, you may want to consider purchasing asthma air purifiers for your home. These devices can make an immediate difference in your child's quality of life, as they work by eliminating common household pollutants like dust mites, pet dander, tobacco smoke and mold directly from the air.
Check out the Air Purifiers Direct 2U website today for more information!