Tdap Vacine Recommended for Many Adults

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a serious infection that spreads easily from person to person. It is most contagious before the coughing starts, so the most effective way to prevent it is through immunization.

The Center for Disease Control recommends that adults 19 - 64 years receive a single dose of Tdap in place of the Td booster previously recommended for adults.

The CDC also recommends that all adults in close contact with infants younger then 12 months of age receive a single dose of Tdap.

Adults can spread pertussis to infants who have not yet had all their vaccines, even before a cough develops. Infants have the highest rates of pertussis complications and death.

Facts about Pertussis for Adults:

• Pertussis, is a serious infectious disease that has been on the rise in the United States over the last decade.
• Protection against pertussis from early childhood vaccines wears off, leaving adults and adolescents at risk for infection.
• Early symptoms of pertussis are similar to the common cold or bronchitis and may include runny nose, sneezing and low-grade fever. Spasms of coughing then become progressively worse.