Protect against Pertussis

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Pertussis is commonly called whooping cough and is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. In some countries, this disease is called the 100 days' cough or cough of 100 days.

After routine immunizations programs were implemented, diseases such as diphtheria, haemophilus influenza type B and hepatitis declined greatly, and nowadays it is more common not to see the  disease. There have been more reports of the disease however and talk about the vaccine is on the rise.

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The Most Important Vaccines

One particularly important vaccine that should you should discuss with your doctor about, is the pertussis vaccination. Pertussis is a condition that can be saw in both children as well as adults. It is characterized by symptoms of the common cold, as well as a cough that lingers for a long period of time. In infants it can also cause difficulty breathing and poor oxygen levels to the baby. In some cases it can also lead to other very serious infections and conditions.

It is recommended that children who receive the vaccine for pertussis (a part of the DTaP vaccine) at the ages of 2, 4, 6 and 15 months, also receive another at 4 years old. An additional booster dose of the vaccine should be administered sometime between the ages of 11 and 12. If you are an adult who has never had the vaccines and will be around a baby it is important that you also consult your physician about the vaccination. Usually the hospital will offer mom this shot before she leaves with her baby. For the best protection, it is important that not only the individual be protected from pertussis, but those around them as well including other family members.

Protecting From Pertussis Starts with You

Also known as whooping cough, pertussis can be spread through germs in the air from an infected individual. For this reason some doctors have recommended that every single child and adult receive this vaccine. When one person becomes infected it can cause many others to become ill as well.

If everyone takes preventative steps towards preventing whooping cough everyone benefits. Not only does the number of people affected decrease, the money spent on health care also declines. It is estimated that more than $1.3 billion  can be saved if everyone has the vaccine.

That is certainly a lot of money, but more important is the fact that so many people can reduce the likeliness of becoming ill and needing medical attention. It takes just one person and their action to make a huge impact in the world, as what is indicated with the finding of the vaccine.

There have been increases in the number of reported pertussis cases over the past few years. It is more important to consider the vaccination that could help you, and all of those people around you. It is easy to talk to your doctor about the vaccine and understanding all of the benefits and risks involved.