Thursday, September 20, 2012

Whooping Cough Information

This will probably become an annual posting as we seem to be having one or two confirmed cases each year.

School Nurse Karen Reilly states "Pertussis is still out there. We have a confirmed case in the community."

Click here to see the latest pertussis fact sheet from the WI Dept. of Health.

Especially note:
How can pertussis be prevented?
Routine immunization of infants and children with acellular Pertussis (aP) vaccine is recommended at 2, 4, 6 and 15-18 months of age with a booster dose at 4-6 years of age. It is given in a combination with Diphtheria and Tetanus vaccines called DTaP. The effectiveness of the vaccine in children who have received at least 3 doses is estimated to be 80%; and protection is even greater against severe disease. Protection will begin to diminish after about 3 years. Persons who experience pertussis after immunization usually have a milder case. DTaP vaccine is currently recommended for children 2 months through 6 years of age. A safe and effective acellular pertussis vaccine for adolescents and adults was licensed in 2005. Called Tdap, the vaccine is routinely recommended as a one time booster for children 11-12 years of age. It is also recommended as one time booster for adults.

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