With whooping cough cases on the rise, CDC recommends adult pertussis vaccine for infant caregivers
A whooping cough epidemic was recently declared in California, with 910 recorded cases of whooping cough and 5 infant deaths reported as of June 15. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, presents initially with simple cold or flu-like symptoms. For adults and teens, the symptoms may never progress further and they may not even know they’ve been infected. For infants and young children, however, the disease can be deadly, quickly progressing to a harsh cough that sounds like a whoop. Coughing fits, making it extremely difficult to breathe, can last for months.
Most children have been vaccinated for whooping cough, with the first of three shots given at two months of age. However, many parents may not realize that their child is not considered safe from this disease until the final vaccine in the series is given at age six months. According to the CDC, a child should receive booster shots between 15 and 18 months of age and again between the ages of 4 and 6. Older children should be vaccinated again at age 12.
Since infants under six months old are not fully immunized, it is important that the people they come in contact with daily are vaccinated as well. The CDC recommends that adults be vaccinated against pertussis every 10 years. The Tdap vaccine is the current shot in use for adults. Tdap protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis and replaces the tetanus/diphtheria vaccine that used to be recommended for adult use.
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*The Infant Health Examiner’s articles are meant to be used for education purposes only. Your pediatrician should always be consulted when you have questions regarding the health of your child.*
