Current shots could trigger neurological problems in infants
Biologists at Mississippi State University are studying safer vaccines for whooping cough, which can sometimes lead to brain damage or death. Lakshmi Pulakat and Nara Gavini head up a research team that discovered a mechanism in current vaccines that may trigger neurological damage among whooping cough patients.
"Our research has unraveled a new physiological and biochemical role for a protein whose exact role in neuronal functions is still unclear," said Gavini, former head of the MSU Biological Sciences Department.
Gavini now works on a temporary basis as a program director for the National Science Foundation.
Whooping cough or pertussis is a highly contagious disease that affects about 30-50 million people worldwide, and causes more than 300,000 deaths a year. Children younger than 1 years old are often most vulnerable to the disease and developing countries account for 90 percent of all cases reported.
