News Moms Need

Whether you’re young or old, help give the gift of good health by getting vaccinated against pertussis. New parents should ask grandparents eager to hold the new baby in the family to add vaccines to their holiday shopping list.

A nationwide surge in whooping cough infections has major health organizations urging people to step up and keep up with their vaccines. Did you know that adults are the most common source of pertussis infection in infants? As a grandparent, I’m paying attention to the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC regarding the pertussis vaccine.

A recent pertussis study immunizing a mother in the last trimester of pregnancy showed that the immunization did not lower the rate of pertussis in infants younger than 6 months.  Experts are recommending “cocooning,” a strategy that protects infants who are too young to be immunized, by having parents, brothers and sisters, and caretakers vaccinated against this disease. This includes grandparents, too.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have expanded an earlier recommendation that seniors be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis).  They now recommend that all adults 65 and older, not just those caring for infants, be immunized. If you don’t think you’re going to be around little ones this holiday, think again. You may attend a holiday party where there are lots of tots. It’s important to remember that pertussis isn’t picky. If your booster isn’t up to date, you can get pertussis, too. Let’s not share this disease any more.

So if you’re asked what you want for a holiday gift this year, ask that everyone get their pertussis vaccination.

My husband and I were watching the news last night and we saw a story about pertussis (whooping cough) and how cases could reach their highest level in 50 years. In Washington State, there’s been over a 1,300% increase in the last year alone!

Pertussis is a very contagious disease caused by bacteria. Many of those who are sick include babies who haven’t been fully vaccinated against pertussis yet. With a toddler at home and another baby on the way, I immediately began scanning my memory to remember if my husband and I had gotten our Tdap vaccine (which protects against pertussis).

Most children get their series of pertussis vaccines as part of their regular childhood vaccination schedule. But teens and adults need to be sure to get a booster Tdap vaccine to keep them protected against pertussis. And since babies need several rounds of the pertussis vaccine before they’re immune, they are especially vulnerable to pertussis.   In babies, pertussis can be very dangerous, even deadly.  Babies often get it from older children or adults who unknowingly have the illness. Because of the rapidly growing number of pertussis cases nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that all teens and adults get a booster Tdap vaccine.

I called our doctor’s office this morning to see if they had any record of us getting our Tdap vaccine. It turns out that in preparation for welcoming our first-born to the family, we each got our Tdap vaccine a couple of years ago. PHEW! But if you haven’t had your booster recently or you can’t remember, be sure to get your Tdap vaccine. If you’re pregnant, you can still get your Tdap vaccination during pregnancy.

(c) 2011 Jeff Gordon

The fight against pertussis (whooping cough) continues with the number of cases increasing nearly 73 percent this year from the same time period in 2011. To help families across the country picture a world without pertussis, the Sounds of Pertussis® Campaign, a joint initiative from Sanofi Pasteur and March of Dimes, is launching “Take Pertussis Out of the Picture.”
 
Campaign spokesperson and four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon is inviting all Americans to take the pledge to get an adult pertussis vaccine and participate in the “Take Pertussis Out of the Picture” initiative on Facebook. Leading the way, Gordon has shown his support and shared his family photo!  Here’s how you can join the cause and spread the word:
•         Step 1: Visit the Sounds of Pertussis Facebook page and join the community 
•         Step 2: Submit a family photo and make your pledge to take pertussis out of the picture. For each photo published on the Facebook page, Sanofi Pasteur will donate $1 to March of Dimes (up to $10,000).
•         Step 3: Share your photo with family and friends and let them know about this important initiative
 
Learn more about the Sounds of Pertussis® Campaign and “Take Pertussis Out of the Picture” at SoundsofPertussis.com or Facebook.com/soundsofpertussis. Let’s work together to take pertussis out of the picture!

This year National Infant Immunization Week is from April 21-28. This annual observance is designed to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Because of vaccines, some crippling and deadly diseases, like polio, have been all but eliminated here, but they are still very present in other countries. Other diseases that were once gone from the U. S. are now returning. The largest measles outbreak in 15 years has hit the United States. Most people who have recently become sick with the measles have not been vaccinated. They caught the measles in Europe (which is in the middle of a major epidemic), and brought the disease back to this country.

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a disease caused by bacteria that leads to coughing and choking that can last for several weeks. Babies who catch pertussis can get very sick, and some may die. The number of pertussis cases in this country has more than doubled since 2000. This may be because protection from the childhood vaccine fades over time. In the last few years, there have been several large pertussis outbreaks. Outbreaks are common in places like schools and hospitals. The disease spreads easily from person to person, usually by coughing or sneezing. Most infants who get pertussis catch it from someone in their family, often a parent.

All new parents need the pertussis vaccine. Until your baby gets her first pertussis shot at 2 months, the best way to protect her is for you to get the adult vaccine before pregnancy or soon after you have your baby. The vaccine prevents you from getting pertussis and passing it along to your baby. Caregivers, close friends and relatives who spend time with your baby, including grandparents, should get vaccinated, too.

To learn more about vaccines and to review the current recommended schedule for childhood vaccines, click on this link.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expanding an earlier recommendation that seniors be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis).  They now recommend that all adults 65 and older be immunized, not just those who are caring for babies.

Researchers believe whooping cough occurs more frequently in older adults than had been previously observed. That may help explain outbreaks of pertussis in California and other states in the past few years.  Also, research has shown that immunity to the bacteria that cause whooping cough can wear off over time, which is why adults need to get booster shots.

The T-DAP vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. It’s routinely given to children starting at 2 months. But three shots, usually done by 6 months, are needed to be sure a child’s immune system can fight off the bacteria that cause pertussis.

To protect the youngest and most vulnerable children, those who haven’t been fully vaccinated, it’s important that relatives and other people in the community be vaccinated to prevent spread of whooping cough.

As a grandparent, I’m paying attention to the new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding the pertussis vaccine. New parents should tell grandparents eager to hold the new baby in the family this holiday season to add vaccines to their shopping list.

The recommendation for expanded vaccinations for whooping cough — even for those over 65 — is new from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It comes after a nationwide surge in whooping cough infections during 2010 and a rise in current cases.

A recent pertussis study immunizing a mother in the last trimester of pregnancy showed that the immunization did not lower the rate of pertussis in infants younger than 6 months.  Experts are recommending “cocooning,” a strategy that protects infants who are too young to be immunized, by having parents, brothers and sisters, and caretakers vaccinated against this disease. If grandparents are going to visit and be around the baby, they should receive their vaccination, too. The AAP policy statement says, “the age for recommendation for Tdap is extended to those aged 65 years and older who have or are likely to have contact with an infant younger than 12 months (eg, health care personnel, grandparents, and other caregivers).”

So if you’re asked what you want for a holiday gift, ask that everyone get their pertussis vaccination.

There’s been yet another outbreak of pertussis  (whooping cough), this time in New York. In light of recent whooping cough outbreaks, an advisory panel for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that pregnant women get the whooping cough vaccine.

It used to be that pregnant women were told to wait until after birth to get the pertussis vaccine. But the panel of experts says that by getting vaccinated during pregnancy, you can pass your antibodies (cells in the body that fight off infection) to your baby. This helps protect your baby from pertussis after he’s born and until he gets his pertussis vaccines. And with all of the pertussis outbreaks, your baby can use as much protection as he can get.

CDC will look into the advisory panel’s recommendation before changing its official vaccination guidelines, but it usually goes along with the panel’s advice. Check back with News Moms Need for updates on this issue. In the meantime, learn more about vaccinations during pregnancy and vaccinations for your baby.

Pertussis, whooping cough, is on the rise. It can cause serious illness in infants, children and adults. The disease starts like the common cold, with runny nose or congestion, sneezing, and maybe mild cough or fever. But after 1–2 weeks, severe coughing can begin.

Pertussis can cause violent and rapid coughing, over and over, until there is no more air in the lungs and you’re forced to inhale with a loud “whooping” sound. In infants, the cough can be slight or not even there. But Pertussis is most severe for little ones. More than half of babies under the age of one year who get the disease must be hospitalized. About 1 in 5 infants with pertussis get pneumonia, and about 1 in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases (1 in 100), pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants.

People with pertussis usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while they’re around others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Many infants who get pertussis are infected by parents, older brothers and sisters, or other caregivers who might not even know they have the disease. (My 34 year old daughter actually had it last November!) Vaccination wears off, so it’s not safe to assume that the vaccine you received when you were young will protect you today.

The Sounds of Pertussis Campaign launched Race to Blanket America, an effort to blanket the country with pertussis education and encourage adults to get vaccinated against pertussis. The centerpiece of the Race to Blanket America is the Sounds of Pertussis Protection Quilt, which symbolizes how those closest to babies can help create a “cocoon” — a blanket of protection — around the tiniest members of their family by getting an adult and adolescent tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) booster vaccination. Learn more and talk with your provider about getting your booster.

My daughter has pertussis (whooping cough)…  She is 34 years old.  She has two young children and made sure they were vaccinated, so they’re fine. She figured she’d ask for a booster shot for herself the next time she got around to going to her doc… Does that sound like your plan?

It is recommended that all adults receive a booster for pertussis because immunity from the vaccine starts to fade around age 11.  This means adolescents need the booster, too.  For parents, the booster not only protects them against whooping cough, but it also will reduce the risk of transmitting whooping cough to their infants.

Read about pertussis, localized outbreaks, the epidemic in California, vaccination recommendations and more at the CDC website.

Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is on the rise, even among people who have been vaccinated. In the past year, cases in California have increased seven-fold, with 2,774 confirmed cases. Outbreaks have also occurred in New York, South Carolina and Michigan.

No one really knows why the disease is increasing, but we do know that the vaccine is not 100% effecive. If whooping cough is circulating in a community, it’s possible for a vaccinated person to get the disease.

The effectieness of the vaccine fades over time. So adolescents and adults may need to be revaccinated; check with your health care provider.

Because some of the symptoms of whooping cough are similar to a cold, it may take a while for a person to realize it’s more than a cold. But after 1-2 weeks, severe coughing begins.   

Infants and children who have the disease cough often and violently; they inhale with a loud “whooping sound.” Whooping cough is most severe in babies.

To learn more, go to the Sounds of Pertussis Web site. The U.S  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has helpful information.