Whooping cough: Without booster vaccine, pre-teens at risk for lengthy, disruptive illness | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    Another fitful night. A mom lies awake, listening helplessly as her child coughs and coughs. This mom knows tomorrow will be another day of school missed. Soccer practice missed. And for her, another day of work missed. She wonders wearily when it will end.

    This cough is whooping cough, also called the "100-day cough" because of its long duration. And the child? Not an infant, as one might expect, but a pre-teen, 11 years old.

    Whooping cough - or pertussis - is a serious and very contagious respiratory disease that can cause long, violent coughing fits and the characteristic "whooping" sound that follows when a person gasps for air.

    Whooping cough has been on the rise in pre-teens and teens. In 2009, a quarter of the 16,858 cases of pertussis reported in the United States were among 10- through 19-year-olds.

    Most children get vaccinated against whooping cough as babies and get a booster shot before starting kindergarten or first grade. But protection from these vaccines wears off, leaving pre-teens at risk for infection that can cause prolonged illness, disruptions in school and activities, and even hospitalization.

    To boost immunity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the Tdap vaccine for all 11- and 12-year-olds.

    "It's important for pre-teens to get a one-time dose of Tdap to protect themselves and those around them from whooping cough," said Anne Schuchat, MD, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "Young infants are most vulnerable to serious complications from pertussis and can be infected by older siblings, parents, or other caretakers." For infants, whooping cough can be deadly.

    "Unfortunately, the most recent survey shows that only a little more than half of teens have received the Tdap vaccine," said Dr. Schuchat. "By taking their pre-teen to get Tdap, parents can protect their child and help stop this disease from spreading."

    Per North Carolina Administrative Code, a booster dose of tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) vaccine is required for individuals

    attending public school who are entering the sixth grade on or after August 1, 2008, if

    five years or more have passed since the last dose of tetanus/diphtheria toxoid.

    A Tdap clinic for rising 6th graders will be offered at Beaufort County Health Department. This clinic will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. -4:30 p.m. from August 12th through September 20th. There is no appointment necessary for this service.

    Insurance will be billed for those with qualifying insurance. It is recommended you contact your insurance company before your visit to verify coverage of immunizations. Those without insurance, with Medicaid, or insurance that does not cover vaccines, may be eligible for the Vaccines for Children program.

    To learn more, call Beaufort County Health Department at 252-946-1902, contact your healthcare provider, visit CDC's adolescent vaccine website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/preteen or call

    JaNell Lewis, B.S.

    Public Health Education Specialist
    Beaufort County Health Department

    Office: (252) 940-6528   •   Cell: (252) 402-5467   •   kelli.russell@bchd.net