All you need to know about whooping cough vaccine

Experts believe that whooping cough vaccine is the best protection against whooping cough or pertussis onset. Most of the vaccines are available to prevent other diseases including tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, to reduce the total injections that someone receives. In the United States, there are three vaccines dedicated to prevent pertussis: DTaP, Tdap, and Td vaccines. The first vaccine, DTap, is given to children including babies that younger than 7 years of ages, and the last two, Tdap, and Td, are given to children older than 7 years of age including adults.

Whooping cough considered as a highly contagious infection that affect to the upper respiratory tract. It caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria, and spread through saliva droplets when infected people coughs or sneezes. Those people who didn’t receive vaccination have a great risk of getting this health problem.

Individual who get pertussis will show cold-like symptoms for one to two weeks, he/she may experience low-grade fever, sneezing, mild cough, and runny nose. More serious whooping cough symptoms start to appear as violent and frequent cough that accompanied with whooping sound when breathing at the end of coughing. In severe condition this breathing difficulty may lead to cyanotic, a condition when patient’s lips and face become red or bluish.

Whooping cough vaccine schedules

According to the CDC website, for maximum protection health practitioners recommend every child to get 5 dose of DTap, one injection at each of the following ages: 2, 4, 6, 15-18 months and 4-6 years. This DTap will not stay forever. A booster vaccination (Td) will be needed every 10 years to gain the protection benefit of the vaccine.

Tdap vaccine offers extra protection to adolescents 11-18 years of age and 19-64 years of age from getting pertussis including tetanus and diphtheria. Senior with 65 years of age and older who have close contact with a baby or infant should also receive Tdap shoot.

Whooping cough vaccine side effects

Just like other medication, pertussis vaccine may have side effects. According to immunizationinfo.org, half of those receive DTap will experience no side effects at all and the rest who get the shoot reported experience mild to moderate side effects such as low-grade fever, soreness, headache, aching muscle, tiredness, vomiting, reduced appetite, and fussiness. Some of children experience redness and swelling in their leg or arm after the vaccination. More severe reactions including serious allergic reactions are extremely rare.

If you or your children experience serious allergic reaction after whooping cough vaccine injection, contact your doctor soon to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.