Lethe200
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
I didn't pay a lot of attention to this article when it came out. However, it contains the recommended schedule of shots for the pertussis vaccine all the way from pregnancy to adulthood, which isn't often publicized. If you've ever had pertussis, you know how painful it can be! People have been known to pass out or even break ribs from whooping cough attacks; you simply cannot breathe in.
This is an excerpt with the relevant info:
Whooping Cough Is Spreading. Here’s What to Know.
The disease can cause fever, a runny nose and fierce coughing fits.
NY Times 22Aug2024
(excerpted)
... Unfortunately, antibiotics only help in the early stages of pertussis, which is a time when the symptoms resemble the average cold. They will, however, shorten the length of time of infectiousness, which normally lasts up to 3–4 weeks once the deep coughing begins.
Pertussis is sometimes referred to as “the hundred-day cough” — and doctors say there’s some truth to that name. Even with treatment, symptoms can persist for weeks or even months. “This is one where prevention really is worth a whole lot more than treatment,” Dr. Schaffner said.
How can you protect yourself?
The vaccines that protect against pertussis also protect against diphtheria and tetanus. The shots are widely considered safe and effective. Among children who have received all their doses on schedule, 98 percent are fully protected from pertussis a year after their last shot, and around 71 percent are fully protected five years after their last dose.
Adults 19 and older should get another shot every 10 years, health officials say.
... Immunity wanes over time, with some estimates showing that the vaccines become less effective after a few years. If you’re not sure if you’ve been vaccinated, or how long it’s been since your last vaccine, ask your health provider or try checking local or regional immunization registries, which keep records of some shots. If you are an adult who has never been vaccinated, the C.D.C. says you should get a dose as soon as possible.
This is an excerpt with the relevant info:
Whooping Cough Is Spreading. Here’s What to Know.
The disease can cause fever, a runny nose and fierce coughing fits.
NY Times 22Aug2024
(excerpted)
... Unfortunately, antibiotics only help in the early stages of pertussis, which is a time when the symptoms resemble the average cold. They will, however, shorten the length of time of infectiousness, which normally lasts up to 3–4 weeks once the deep coughing begins.
Pertussis is sometimes referred to as “the hundred-day cough” — and doctors say there’s some truth to that name. Even with treatment, symptoms can persist for weeks or even months. “This is one where prevention really is worth a whole lot more than treatment,” Dr. Schaffner said.
How can you protect yourself?
The vaccines that protect against pertussis also protect against diphtheria and tetanus. The shots are widely considered safe and effective. Among children who have received all their doses on schedule, 98 percent are fully protected from pertussis a year after their last shot, and around 71 percent are fully protected five years after their last dose.
Adults 19 and older should get another shot every 10 years, health officials say.
... Immunity wanes over time, with some estimates showing that the vaccines become less effective after a few years. If you’re not sure if you’ve been vaccinated, or how long it’s been since your last vaccine, ask your health provider or try checking local or regional immunization registries, which keep records of some shots. If you are an adult who has never been vaccinated, the C.D.C. says you should get a dose as soon as possible.