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Protection against whooping cough drops quickly after children receive their last dose of vaccine, a new study finds. The study focused on children in Minnesota and Oregon. All were born between 1998 and 2003. More than 400,000 of the children received all 5 doses of the DTaP vaccine by age 6. This vaccine protects against whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria and tetanus. Researchers looked at records on whooping cough cases in the 6 years after the children got their last vaccine dose. Cases went up each year. In the first year after children completed their vaccine series, there were 15.6 cases of whooping cough per 100,000 children in the study group in Minnesota. By the sixth year, the rate was 138.4 per 100,000. In Oregon, whooping cough cases rose from 6.2 cases to 24.4 cases per 100,000. The journal Pediatrics published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it March 11.

Changing the test used for pregnancy diabetes could diagnose more women. However, an expert panel is urging caution. About 5% of pregnant U.S. women are diagnosed with gestational (pregnancy) diabetes. This problem usually goes away after the birth. However, it can cause problems, such as an increase in larger babies and cesarean section deliveries. These mothers also are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Diagnosis allows for treatment with diet, exercise and sometimes medicines. The most common test used in the United States is a two-step process. But the American Diabetes Association supports a one-step test. This test also lowers the blood sugar level required for diagnosis. The National Institutes of Health gathered a group of experts this week to look at the issue. They supported keeping the two-step test for now.

Powerful new medicines used to suppress the immune system don’t increase the risk of the skin disease shingles, a study finds. People who have had chickenpox can develop shingles. The virus that causes chickenpox stays hidden in the body. If it becomes active again, it can cause shingles. The study focused on people with autoimmune diseases. These diseases are caused by an attack of the immune system on part of the body. Examples include rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. The newest medicines for some of these conditions are called anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs. They suppress the immune system. As a result, they can increase the risk of some infections. The new study looked at records for about 60,000 people with autoimmune diseases. It compared shingles rates for those who took anti-TNF drugs and those who took other drugs.