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Step 1
You probably received a vaccination for whooping cough as a child, but it’s very likely that your immunity to this sometimes severe form of bacterial infection has dwindled if you’re an adult. It’s believed that immunity acquired through vaccination for whooping cough rarely lasts longer than ten years which could put you at risk for developing this disease as an adult. In its severest form, this infection can cause a cough severe enough to break a rib. Should you get a booster vaccination for whooping cough if you’re an adult?
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Step 2
Whooping cough outbreaks appear to be on the rise in this country. This is likely due to the fact that most adults don’t choose to get whooping cough booster vaccines during adulthood which puts them at risk of contracting the infection as well as transmitting it to others. Although antibiotics can be used to treat a whooping cough infection, they’re only effective if used within the first few days of symptoms, a time when the diagnosis can be difficult to make. By the time the characteristic “whooping” cough develops, it’s too late for antibiotic treatment and the potential for serious complications exists. The forceful cough associated with this disease can lead to broken ribs, a punctured lung, or even loss of consciousness.
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Step 3
For this reason, the experts are recommending that adults up to age sixty-five get a vaccination for whooping cough to boost their immunity. There are a variety of good reasons to do this. The infection can be quite severe and it’s easy to catch during an outbreak if you’re no longer immune. The other danger is that you could transmit the infection to an infant who doesn’t have immunity with potentially devastating consequences. When infants develop whooping cough, they usually require a breathing tube to assist with ventilation. If you have a young infant at home, it’s highly advisable that you get a booster vaccination for whooping cough to protect yourself as well as the baby.
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Step 4
Is the vaccination for whooping cough safe? The vaccination currently being used is an acellular form which is combined with tetanus and diphtheria. Because it’s acellular, it has fewer side effects than the pertussis vaccine you had as a child which may have produced fever and fatigue or redness and discomfort at the vaccination site. This newer vaccination for whooping cough also appears to be quite effective.
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Step 5
If you’re an adult under the age of sixty-five, particularly if you have an infant at home, consider talking to your doctor about getting a booster vaccination for whooping cough. It’s a smart decision.
