Letter

Is public health action worth while if many cases are being missed?

BMJ 2006; 333 doi: 10.1136/bmj.333.7562.304 (Published 3 August 2006)
Cite this as: BMJ 2006;333:304.1

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  1. Peter M English, consultant in public health medicine (peter_english@bigfoot.com)
  1. Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 9RX

    EDITOR—Harnden et al seem to propose that the incidence of pertussis is grossly underestimated.1 They comment on the low notification rates for pertussis (barely 500 notifications in the past two years, according to the Health Protection Agency2). Forty per cent of children with persistent cough having pertussis infection sounds like a lot but depends on the prevalence …

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