Georgians must take precautions against "whooping cough" (pertussis)

Several recently reported cases of pertussis (commonly referred to as “whooping cough”) in some Cobb County schools has prompted the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) Division of Public Health (DPH) to remind the public about the dangers of the disease and what they can do to prevent it.

“Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that can occur at any age,” said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health. “One of the most effective ways to prevent the disease is to get vaccinated – whether you are a child or an adult.”

Pertussis is an infectious disease of the respiratory tract caused by bacteria found in the mouth, nose and throat of an infected person. Pertussis starts like the common cold with runny nose or congestion, sneezing and, in some instances, a mild cough or fever. But after one to two weeks, individuals begin to experience severe coughing that sounds like a “whoop” as they try to catch their breath.

Pertussis is usually spread by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Infants who get pertussis are often infected by older siblings or parents who are unaware they have the disease.

While pertussis can cause serious illness in children and adults, hospitalization is rarely necessary. However, for infants and those with weakened immune systems or pre-existing breathing problems such as asthma, pertussis can be serious. The disease is rarely fatal, although fatalities have occurred in infants.

According to the DPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated. The recommended pertussis vaccine for children is called DTaP. It is a safe and effective combination vaccine that protects children against three diseases: pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus. For maximum protection, children need five DTaP shots: the first at 2 months old, the second at 4 months old, the third at 6 months old, the fourth sometime between 15 and 18 months old, and the final shot at between 4 and 6 years old. Since protection after vaccination or disease only lasts a few years, adolescents should get a Tdap shot sometime between 11 and 12 years old. Adults should be vaccinated as well by getting Tdap, instead of their regular booster, every 10 years.

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Nation's Teen Vaccination Coverage Increasing, But Below 2010 Goals

The nation's immunization coverage rates for preteens and teens are increasing for routinely recommended vaccines, but most still do not have all of the recommended immunizations, according to 2007 estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"The overall trends are good news," said Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the Division of Immunization Services at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "We are seeing more preteens and teenagers being protected against serious, sometimes deadly diseases. But we remain short of our goals -- for almost all of these vaccines we want at least 90 percent of adolescents to be fully immunized. As such, we have much work to do to get many more adolescents protected."

The survey provides estimates for three vaccines recommended at 11 or 12 years of age: the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), and the human papillomavirus (HPV4) vaccine for girls and young women. It also includes estimates of the percentage of 13- through 17-year-old teens who should have received the recommended immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine, and varicella vaccine (VAR) earlier in life.

According to Rodewald, the nation's Healthy People 2010 goals for preteens and teens ages 13-15 years are not being met for any of the vaccines for which goals were set. The Healthy People 2010 goals are for 90 percent coverage for preteens and teens 13 to 15 years of age with three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, one dose of either tetanus-diphtheria or tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine, and one dose of varicella vaccine for those who have not previously had chickenpox. There is not a Healthy People 2010 goal for HPV vaccination, which was first licensed and recommended in 2006.

The survey found that, compared to 2006, there was a substantial increase in the percentage of preteens and teens who had received the recommended vaccinations. Specific findings included:

-- Vaccination coverage levels for three or more doses of hepatitis B
(HepB) and two or more doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine
(MMR) were over 80 percent;
-- Coverage with one dose of varicella vaccine (VAR) was high at 75.7
percent but coverage with two doses was low at 18.8 percent among
preteens and teens without a previous history of disease;
-- 32.4 percent of preteens and teens surveyed had received MCV4
vaccination, up from 11.7 percent in 2006 (a 20.7 percentage point
increase);
-- 30.4 percent had received Tdap vaccination, up from 10.8 percent in
2006 (a 19.6 percentage point increase);
-- 25.1 percent of adolescent females had received at least one dose of
HPV vaccine

Rodewald encourages parents to take their preteens and teenagers for routine medical checkups as a way to ensure they receive the recommended vaccinations.

Additional Background Information

The meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) vaccine protects against meningococcal meningitis, the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine protects against pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects girls against cervical cancer. The recommended series consists of one dose of Tdap vaccine, one dose of the MCV4 vaccine, and three doses of the HPV4 vaccine.

CDC has conducted the National Immunization Survey for teens since 2006. It is similar to the standard NIS which began in 1994, that collects immunization information among children 19 through 35 months old. It is a random digit-dialed telephone survey.

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