CDC Urges Pregnant Women to Get the Whooping Cough Vaccine
Photo: Thinkstock / The Bump
Did you know there’s a whooping cough epidemic going on? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a statement today saying the state of Washington has had 2,520 cases of whooping cough (aka pertussis) this year. That’s a 1,300% increase over the same time period last year.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that, at first, causes cold-like symptoms but can affect breathing and can even result in death. And one of the age groups with the highest rates of the infection is infants under the age of one.
“The focus of prevention and control efforts is the protection of infants and others at greatest risk for severe disease and improving vaccination coverage in adolescents and adults, especially those who are pregnant. Pertussis vaccination remains the single most effective strategy for prevention of infection,” says the statement.
In other words, getting the vaccine (especially if you’re in Washington State) could prevent you from getting whooping cough and, in turn, prevent you from passing it along to baby before she’s old enough to be fully vaccinated. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies get the DTaP vaccine — which includes the vaccine for pertussis — at 2 months, 4 months and 6months and between 15 and 18 months and 4 to 6 years. There’s also a booster around age 11 or 12.
According to The Seattle Times, researchers believe the pertussis vaccine can start to wear off by age 10, so that’s why they recommend boosters. If you aren’t sure if you’ve had a booster, talk to your doctor to see if the DTaP is right for you. The CDC recommends pregnant women get the DTaP during the third or late second trimester of pregnancy (after 20 weeks gestation).
Plus, more from The Bump:
Can I Get Vaccinations While I’m Pregnant?
The Vaccine Pregnant Women Need
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
I live in Washington state and have had this vaccine. It was awful. I had a bad reaction from it and had to go on meds after getting the vaccination.
CDC is getting desperate. The VAST majority of those who are getting WC are already vaccinated! It doesn’t work. Read the package inserts, warnings and adverse reactions…it’s NOT recomended for pregnant women.
Thats right, Whooping Cough Spreads Mainly through Vaccinated Populations…
My husband came down with whooping cough while I was 35 weeks pregnant and I am not one to unnecessarily medicate (at any point during pregnancy or birth) but I would rather be safe than possibly pass a deadly illness onto my newborn. Neither of us had bad reactions to it and are making sure the family gets vaccinated as well since we live in the county where it is the most prevalent.
I am 31 weeks along and just got my Tdap booster shot yesterday. Have a sore arm today but no other adverse reactions. Most adults have been vaccinated for WC at some point – but the effectiveness wears off. A booster shot is recommended after 10 years to maintain immunity. We are also asking that immediate family who will have contact with our Baby ensure that they are current on their vaccines. Living in WA state – I’d rather be safe than sorry.