Pertussis is rampant!

Are you up to date on the Tdap vaccine?  The “p” of this vaccine stands for pertussis.  Pertussis is also known as whopping cough. 

The Washington Post recently stated that there are five times as many pertussis cases mid-October 2024 as compared to October 2023. 

The CDC guidelines are for DTaP to be given to children and Tdap to be given to adults.  DTAP is a 5-dose series (age 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months and 4-6 years of age).

TdaP is given at age 12 and then “once as an adult.”  Other caveats for TdaP as an adult are all pregnant persons should have one dose  in the early part of gestational weeks 27-36 or for those who have exposure to newborns.

When I was pregnant with our third child, my husband contracted pertussis.  He was treated with appropriate antibiotics and yet he whooped (coughed until he has NO air left in his lungs and then made a whooping sound as he filled his lungs back up with air) for 6 months.  He was miserable, even though he was no longer infectious or contagious.  I urge you to ask your primary care physician if you are due for a Tdap booster.

I hope this helps.