Sounds of Pertussis

I attended a class today at work on pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough. This illness is on the rise. There has recently been 2 cases in Leon County. Apparently, all us adults were last vaccinated in the 7th grade and recent studies have shown that the vaccine wears off after approximately 10 years. So the majority of adults in the United States are not vaccinated and are able to contract and potentially spread whooping cough to our little ones. The CDC started its campaign in 2006 to vaccine adults in the United States. 3% have now been vaccinated. Those are scary statistics! Children are vaccinated for this illness starting at infancy, but are not fully protected until around the age of five. This is a totally preventable illness. Ask your doctor for the adult pertussis vaccine, also known as the Tdap vaccine. It's especially recommended for people who live with or take care of infants less than 1 year of age, women who might become pregnant, new mothers, and health care personnel. Most babies are infected by their parents or close family members. I was vaccinated last week, how about you? Have you had your vaccine?