Health Tip: Protecting Babies From Whooping Cough

Adults should be vaccinated

By Diana Kohnle

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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(HealthDay News) -- Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection that is highly contagious and can be extremely dangerous for babies.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined these tips to help protect babies from whooping cough:

Any parent should be vaccinated against whooping cough.
Any adult who may come into contact with an infant should receive a whooping cough vaccine at least two weeks before being around the infant.
Pregnant women should be vaccinated against whooping cough (with the Tdap vaccine) during pregnancy, preferably sometime between weeks 27 and 36.
New moms who were not vaccinated during pregnancy should be vaccinated at the hospital immediately after giving birth.
Vaccinate babies with the DTaP vaccine (which includes a whooping cough vaccine) according to your pediatrician's recommended schedule, remembering that babies will need five doses of the vaccine.
Keep babies away from anyone who is sick and coughing or has symptoms of whooping cough.

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