I’m Dr. Celina Miller, a pediatrician with Centegra Physician Care.
Pertussis, better known as whooping cough, is a serious respiratory infection that affects people of any age, but is especially dangerous for affected infants, who may suffer permanent disability or even death. Whooping cough is easily spread through tiny droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
The pertussis vaccination is a recommended immunization for children and adults to protect against the disease. Since most children are immunized before they start school, many cases of whooping cough are seen among teens and adults, who then subsequently infect children with whom they are in contact.
The CDC recommends the Pertussis vaccination known as Tdap for teens and adults be given around age 11 or 12 and a booster every 10 years thereafter.
Talk to your doctor about the pertussis vaccine. To find a Centegra physician near you, call (815) 338-6600.