Whooping Cough

GRANDPARENTS: PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR GRANDBABY FROM WHOOPING
COUGH…from the California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch:

In 2008, 100 cases of Whooping Cough were reported in Oklahoma, a 72% increase from
2007. That’s only the cases that were reported to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
Many more suffered from undiagnosed cases…and infants who are too young to be immunized
become especially ill and can be hospitalized or even die from this so-called “childhood disease.”

The elderly are also especially vulnerable from the complications of the disease. In 2008, there
were more than 13,000 reported cases in the United States including 18 deaths from Pertussis.

Cocooning is the term for surrounding the baby with family members who cannot expose the
baby to the disease. Everyone who is around the baby-Mom, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, siblings and close family members—should have a Tdap booster  in order to protect the baby from this
vaccine-preventable disease. And, remember, it will also protect the family from what is called
the “100 day cough!”

TEENS should have a Tdap booster, and every 10 years, ADULTS should have a tetanus
immunization (Td) but if you have not yet had a Tdap booster as an adult, you can “trade out”
your next Td with a Tdap booster and then go back to having a tetanus (Td) immunization every 10 years afterwards to protect yourselves. For more information about whooping cough
(“Pertussis”), go to http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pertussis/default.htm or
www.immunize.org

Grandparents, check out this flyer! (click on link)
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Documents/grandparentsprotectyourselff
rompertussis.pdf