DR PALEVSKY'S COMMENTS: This is an unfortunate recommendation. When I was training in medical school and residency from 1983-1990, we were taught that the whole cell pertussis part of the DPT vaccine was unsafe to administer to anyone above the age of 7 years old. These instructions were written in the Red Book, and in the DPT package inserts. The reason for the contraindication was because there was an increased chance of serious neurological complications when children above 7 years old and adults were given the pertussis vaccine. Now, we are being told that adults need to receive the Tdap vaccine, which contains the acellular pertussis antigen, while over the past 2 years, every 11 year old sixth grader has been required to get the Tdap booster. And, somehow, based on a few studies using the Tdap in children 11 years of age and older, the pertussis antigen is all of a sudden safe to administer to anyone above the age of 7 years old. We need better science than this. How has it been proven that an antigen, previously believed to be dangerous when injected into the body of children and adults above the age of 7 years of age, is somehow safe now? Where is the science? Where are the longer term studies, and the appropriate short term studies, demonstrating the safety of this vaccine in anyone above 7 years of age? Don't we deserve better science than this?