UPDATES
PUBLIC URGED TO GET WHOOPING COUGH VACCINE
Health officials are calling for people of all ages to be immunized against whooping cough.
Whooping cough, also known as Pertussis, is a very contagious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella Pertussis. It is one of the most commonly occurring vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. Whooping cough is on the rise in the United States. Seven babies in California have died from whooping cough since January, 2010 and nearly 1,500 Californians have been infected with it. That’s five times more than this time last year. Health officials have declared a whooping cough epidemic in California and statistics indicate this may be the worst outbreak in 50 years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children under the age of six years receive five doses of the vaccine. Now health officials are also recommending boosters for older kids and adults. Protection from the childhood vaccine fades over time. Adolescents and adults need to be revaccinated, even if they were completely vaccinated as children. Adolescents and adults who are in contact with children under the age of six months are advised to be vaccinated to prevent spreading the disease to infants too young to be immunized. Whooping Cough is most severe for babies. More than half of infants less than 1 year of age who get the disease must be hospitalized.
Whooping cough (Pertussis) gets its name from the distinctive sound of the cough that characterizes the bacterial infection. The disease starts like the common cold, with runny nose or congestion, sneezing, and maybe mild cough or fever. After 1–2 weeks, severe coughing begins. Infants and children with the disease cough violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from their lungs and they're forced to inhale with a loud "whooping" sound.
The Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis combination vaccine is available for ages 10 to 64 years at VNA's walk-in clinic. For more information, please call (314) 513-9922.
