Whooping cough and adults

HHS HealthBeat (June 25, 2009)
Whooping cough and adults

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a childhood disease – at least, mostly. But grownups also can get it.

Children get vaccinated against it. But immunity can weaken as people grow older. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jennifer Liang says a repeat vaccination is needed:

[Dr. Jennifer Liang speaks] "We now have a vaccine available for adults and adolescents to boost the childhood immunity to pertussis. It’s called Tdap, and is approved for everyone over the age of 11."

CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report points out that the vaccine also protects against diphtheria and tetanus, just like the childhood shots.

Dr. Liang says adults tend not to see doctors when they have a cough illness, but adults should take pertussis seriously. Besides being sick themselves, they can pass it easily to a youngster.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.
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Last revised: June, 25 2009

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Whooping cough and adults