De terugkeer van bof en kinkhoest: genetische microbiële evolutie, vaccinfalen of falen tot vaccinatie?

Influence of vaccines and vaccination on the decrease of morbidity and mortality rates due to infectious diseases can hardly be overestimated. Due to continuous and extensive use of vaccines in Western populations many infectious diseases, such as poliomyelitis, diphtheria and measles, have been reduced to near-extinction. In recent years many Western countries have been confronted with a resurgence of mumps and pertussis, despite high vaccination coverage for both vaccines. In this article possible causes of this resurgence will be discussed, such as the occurrence of adapted microbes, failure to vaccinate, primary and secondary vaccine failure.