Whooping cough is making a comeback in the United States, California and Humboldt County. In California this year, from January to August, 1,276 cases of whooping cough were reported with four infant deaths. For the same period in 2004, there were 450 cases, with two infant deaths. In our practice we have hospitalized two infants this year and seen three or four times that many probable pertussis cases in infants and children not needing hospitalization.
Because whooping cough is vary rarely a life threatening disease in adults, in the United States, we have not been immunizing for pertussus after kindergarden. Unlike some other diseases, the immunity to whooping cough wears off after a decade or so. Because of this adults are likely to catch whooping cough and can pass it on to children and infants.
There is a newly licensed pertussis vaccine combined with tetanus and diptheria (TdaP) now advised for junior high school age children when they get their tetanus booster. The intent is to immunize adolescents and young adults to help stop the rising incidents of pertussis.
In spite of the serious reaction risk, that is extremely small, from the pertussis immunization, we encourage all infants, children and now adolescents to be immunized against pertussis.
The official Center for Disease Control handout for TdaP is available through the CDC Vaccine Information Statements site. You should review it before getting the TdaP vaccine for your adolescent.
If you have questions, ask us.
Ted Humphry, M.D.
this information last updated 10/05
822-2441