Edition: U.S. / Global

HEALTH WATCH; Old Vaccine Still Works

Published: February 3, 1998

Wealthy nations are gradually replacing the original whooping cough vaccine after decades of controversy over its safety, but developing nations should not be afraid to use the old vaccine, a study says.

Researchers from the Gangarosa International Health Foundation say the risks attributed to the whole-cell pertussis vaccine, introduced in the late 1940's to control whooping cough, have been misunderstood.

In an article in the current issue of the British medical journal The Lancet, they contend that the vaccine is particularly important for developing nations that cannot afford the newer formula, which the United States and European nations began using two years ago.

The old vaccine is cheaper and more effective, the researchers argue, saying that serious side effects, contrary to what some believe, are ''so rare that they defy measurement.'' The severe side effects that have been attributed to the vaccine include brain damage and seizures. Experts disagree about a link to brain damage but agree that if the vaccine does cause such damage, it does so rarely.

But Rosemary Fox, founder of the Association of Parents of Vaccine-Damaged Children in Britain, objected to the researchers' view.

''It's not fair to have a safe one and one that is more toxic,'' she said. ''Just because people are poor, it doesn't mean they should be treated any differently.''