Lately there has been a lot of talk about whooping cough, also known as pertussis. I’ve also seen commercials about getting infants vaccinated because adults are normally the carriers of the infection and can unknowingly spread it to infants.
After hearing a lot about it, and reading news about alarming outbreaks in California, I read an article from the LA Times, “Whooping Cough, Risks, Symptoms, and Vaccine,” and realized just how important knowing more about whooping cough really is.
I’ve never given it much thought since my daughter has gotten her DTaP and all of her vaccines to date, but after reading this article, I realize just how important it is for my husband and me to also get our booster vaccination.
Whooping cough is a really tricky infection, because it can go unnoticed in both adults and infants. In adults, whooping cough isn’t necessarily dangerous or serious, but for infants, because the infection can go unnoticed for a long while, it is possible for the situation to go badly and death may be a risk.
The article talks about how everyone (barring those with progressive neurological disorder, and allergic reactions to the vaccine or vaccines) should get vaccinated, including booster shots because all of are vulnerable to the infection. Even if a person has contracted the infection before and recovered, because whooping cough is a bacterial infection, it is necessary to get a booster shot.
First thing on Monday I’m going to call for an appointment to get my booster shot, and the reason I’m going to schedule an appointment to get my DTaP booster is because I realized it’s up to all of us to help stop the spread of the bacteria that causes whooping cough.
Will you go get your DTaP booster shot, and make sure your children are up to date on their vaccinations? My hope is that we all get vaccinated and protect our most vulnerable members of the society: infants.
To everyone’s health,
Hale Mom
