Do I Need Whooping Cough Vaccine

How Much Does The Whooping Cough Vaccine Cost

In the United States, the cost of the Tdap vaccine depends on whether or not you have health insurance coverage. Government-funded federal health centers also offer vaccinations, sometimes with a sliding scale fee based on your income. State and local health departments can often provide information on how to access free or low-cost vaccinations.

Most private health insurance plans provide coverage for some or all of the cost of the vaccine. Medicare Part D also provides some coverage for vaccination. However, you might face some charges depending on the specific plan that you have.

If you have health insurance, contact your insurance provider to learn if your insurance plan covers the cost of the vaccine. If you dont have insurance, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or state or local health departments to learn how much the vaccine will cost.

Added Protection For Infants

It is now recommended that all pregnant women receive a pertussis vaccination when they are 20 to 32 weeks pregnant. A combination of antibodies being passed through the mothers bloodstream and the reduced risk of the mother catching the disease makes this an ideal time to administer the vaccine. Pertussis vaccine is available free of charge to eligible people under the National Immunisation Program. Speak to your doctor or antenatal care provider to schedule an appointment.

Fathers, grandparents and anyone else who is likely to come into contact with newborns should see their doctor to get a pertussis booster at least 2 weeks before the baby is born.

How Often Do I Need The Whooping Cough Vaccine

Thank you for your question.

Whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection.

As a child, you probably were vaccinated with the DTaP vaccine , one dose at each of the following ages: 2, 4, 6, and 15 through 18 months and 4 through 6 years.

A single dose of the Tdap vaccine is given to adolescents ages 11 through 18, preferably ages 11 to 12.

The CDC recommends one dose of Tdap be administered to adults 19 years of age and older who did not get Tdap as an adolescent.

Expectant mothers should receive Tdap during each pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.

Nina, I hope this information is help in determining if you need a booster pertussis vaccine.

Regards,

Don’t Miss: Can I Get A Tdap Shot At Cvs

Risk Of Pertussis By Age

Infants who are too young to be fully immunised have the highest risk of infection and severe illness.67 A high proportion of hospitalisations, and almost all deaths, from pertussis occur in this group.15,68

In highly immunised communities, pertussis can occur in adults and adolescents as a result of waning immunity.64,69 These people are a significant reservoir of infection. Household contacts and carers are often the source of infection in infants. Parents are the source in more than 50% of cases.29 Siblings are also a significant source of infant infections.4,5 Young infants can also acquire the disease from healthcare workers.23-26

In contrast to previous epidemics, during the 200811 epidemic period in Australia, notification rates were highest in children < 15 years of age. The proportion of notifications in older adolescents and adults was lower during this epidemic than in other epidemics. Pertussis notifications were notably higher for children between 3 and 9 years of age.65,66 More accessible and sensitive diagnosis with nucleic acid testing contributed to the rise in notified cases.70 Waning of immunity induced by pertussis-containing vaccine was also a factor .3,7,8,71 Although notification rates were higher in this epidemic, hospitalisation and death rates from pertussis were not substantially higher.72

People aged 65 years have higher rates of hospitalisation from pertussis than younger adults.65

Does The Whooping Cough Vaccine Work

To be successful in preventing pertussis in infants, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the CDC recommends that women receive a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy.

We began recommending the Tdap vaccine for pregnant women in our offices in 2013, the year that ACOG , released practice guidelines supporting the administration of the Tdap vaccine in pregnancy.

The vaccine contains a deactivated strain of the virus, so neither the mom nor her baby can get whooping cough from receiving the vaccine. The main side effect from the immunization is mild discomfort in the injection site that usually resolves within 72 hours.

You May Like: Does Cvs Do Tetanus Shots

What Is Whooping Cough

A bacterium known as Bordetella pertussis causes “whooping cough”. The name refers to the whooping sound made upon breathing in during a prolonged coughing spell. This vaccine-preventable illness can be life-threatening to young children and even the elderly. In its early stages, it looks like the common cold, but then it develops into unrelenting coughing spells that often interfere with breathing. Whooping cough is also termed pertussis.

Whooping cough is also known as the “100 day cough” because coughing fits can last up to 10 weeks. Whooping cough symptoms may not present themselves until 5 to 21 days after exposure to someone with whooping cough.

Whooping Cough Vaccine Brands

The vaccines used in this program are Boostrix® or Adacel®. These vaccines contain a reduced antigen formulation for adults and adolescents combining diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis antigens.

The only absolute contraindication to these vaccines are a history of anaphylactic reaction to any of the vaccine components.

You May Like: Cost Of Tdap At Cvs

Who Needs Protection Most

You can contract whooping cough at any age, and though the cough may last for about three months, most people get through the illness without lasting effects.

Whooping cough can be quite dangerous, though, for infants, who can’t get their first vaccination until they reach 2 months .

Young babies not only have less robust protection against whooping cough than older children and most adults but are also more likely to experience potentially serious complications such as pneumonia and convulsions.

Babies with whooping cough often don’t cough at all,” explains Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., chief medical adviser for Consumer Reports. “Instead, the disease causes them to stop breathing and turn blue.

According to the CDC, about one out of four babies who contract whooping cough develop pneumonia, and one or two out of every 100 will die.

And because not everyone has visible symptoms when ill with whooping cough, parents, grandparents, and caregivers may pass the illness on to babies unknowingly. “Some people may have a mild form of the disease and not even know it, and they can transmit it to a baby through a cough or sneeze, or even by blowing a kiss,” Lipman says.

Experts say babies usually catch whooping cough from relatives. The source is family members because they get it and bring it to the infant, says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Do Adults Need Whooping Cough Vaccine

Whooping cough infections tend to affect babies more often and more severely than other people. However, older children and adults can also contract this illness.

Getting the whooping cough vaccine will lower your chances of getting the disease. In turn, this will help prevent you from passing the disease on to infants and other people around you.

The Tdap vaccine also reduces your risk of contracting diphtheria and tetanus.

However, the vaccines protective effects wear off over time.

Thats why the

Recommended Reading: Cvs Tdap Vaccine

Adults And Children Aged 10 Years And Over

Pertussis vaccination is not routinely recommended for those aged 10 years and over, apart from pregnant women or as part of outbreak control .

A pertussis-containing vaccine can be considered as a post exposure measure for those aged more than 10 years old who have had close contact with suspected or confirmed cases of pertussis, based on the criteria set out in the guidelines for the public health management of pertussis, produced by UKHSA .

When Should I Have The Whooping Cough Vaccine

The best time to get vaccinated to protect your baby is from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks of pregnancy. This maximises the chance that your baby will be protected from birth, through the transfer of your antibodies before he or she is born.

If for any reason you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour. However, this is not ideal, as your baby is less likely to get protection from you. At this stage of pregnancy, having the vaccination may not directly protect your baby, but would help protect you from whooping cough and from passing it on to your baby.

You May Like: Tdap Vaccine Cvs Pharmacy

How Often Should Adults Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine

All adults should get one dose of the Tdap vaccine. Pregnant women need Tdap with each pregnancy. If you had the Tdap vaccine as a teenager , you don’t need another one unless you’re pregnant, in which case, you should get the Tdap vaccine again when you are 27 to 36 weeks pregnant, preferably as early as possible within that window. Check with your doctor, nurse, or clinic to make sure you’re up to date with all of your immunizations.

How Common Is Whooping Cough In Washington

Whooping cough is always active in our state. In a typical year, Washington has anywhere between 184 and 1026 cases of whooping cough, but in 2012 we had an epidemic with nearly 5000 cases. In the past 20 years, whooping cough has caused as many as two deaths in some years with no deaths in other years. Most outbreaks in Washington are local, with a variation in cases from county to county. Some areas report a high number of cases and others have none. Find the current number of whooping cough cases in Washington , or the number of whooping cough cases reported in past years.

Also Check: Tdap Booster Cvs

How Many People Are Vaccinated In Washington

According to data from the National Immunization Survey , here are the vaccination rates in 2016 for children and adolescents in Washington:

The Tdap vaccination rate for adults in our state isn’t available. The national adult Tdap rate in 2014 was 22 percent, according to the National Health Interview Survey.

Find more whooping cough vaccination rates from the CDC:

• NIS results for Tdap coverage among 13-17 year olds

Should You Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine In Pregnancy

If youre pregnant, getting the whooping cough vaccine will help protect you and your unborn baby from the disease.

Although babies can be vaccinated against whooping cough, they typically get their first vaccine when theyre 2 months old. That leaves them vulnerable to infection in the first months of life.

Whooping cough can be very dangerous for young babies, and in some cases even fatal.

To help protect young infants from whooping cough, the CDC advises pregnant adults to get the Tdap vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy.

The vaccine will cause your body to produce protective antibodies to help fight off whooping cough. If youre pregnant, your body will pass these antibodies on to the fetus in your womb. This will help protect the baby, after theyre born.

Studies have found that the whooping cough vaccine is safe for pregnant people and fetuses, according to the

CDC recommends the following vaccination schedule for whooping cough:

• Infants and children: Receive a shot of DTaP at the ages of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years.
• Adolescents: Receive a shot of Tdap between the ages of 11 and 12 years.
• Adults: Receive a shot of Tdap once every 10 years.

If youve never received the DTaP or Tdap vaccine, dont wait 10 years to get it. You can get the vaccine at any time, even if youve recently been vaccinated against tetanus and diphtheria.

The Tdap vaccine is also recommended during the third trimester of pregnancy.

• chills
• rash

Also Check: Cvs Pharmacy Tdap

Are There More Cases Of Whooping Cough Than What’s Reported

There are always more cases of whooping cough than what’s reported. Only about one out of every 10 cases gets reported to public health because:

• Sometimes whooping cough is diagnosed as something else.
• Some people have whooping cough without knowing it, so they may not see a doctor and it could go undiagnosed and unreported.

Who Needs The Whooping Cough Vaccine And Booster

The news that two Plano high school students were diagnosed with pertussis in November 2015 has led to more patients asking me about the disease commonly known as whooping cough. These cases offer a good reminder to make sure your and your childrens vaccination records are up to date.

Cases of pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory tract infection, have been steadily increasing in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 15 percent increase in pertussis cases between 2013 and 2014, from 28,639 to 32,971. In Texas, there were 2,576 cases reported in 2014.

Whooping cough mostly strikes children who are too young to have completed the course of vaccinations and teenagers and adults whose immunity has faded. While deaths from whooping cough are rare, infants are most at risk, making it important that pregnant women and people who have close contact with infants make sure they are adequately vaccinated.

Recommended Reading: Does Cvs Offer Tdap Shot

Problems That Could Happen After Getting Any Injected Vaccine

• People sometimes faint after a medical procedure, including vaccination. Sitting or lying down for about 15 minutes after receiving a vaccine can help prevent fainting, and injuries caused by a fall. Tell your healthcare professional if you or your child:
• Feels dizzy
• Has vision changes
• Has ringing in the ears

• Health departments
• Other community locations such as schools and religious centers

Federally funded health centers can also provide services if you dont have a regular source of health care. Locate one near you. You can also contact your state health department to learn more about where to get vaccines in your community.

When receiving any vaccine, ask the provider to record the vaccine in the state or local registry, if available. This helps healthcare professionals at future encounters know what vaccines you or your child have already received.

When To Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine

All children should get the entire five-shot whooping cough vaccine series between 2 months of age and enrollment in kindergarten.

Adolescents and adultsincluding pregnant womenshould get a Tdap booster shot unless they’re certain theyve already had one.

The CDC used to advise that women get a whooping cough vaccine booster during pregnancy only if they’d never received the original vaccine.

But now the CDC recommends that all pregnant women get the shotideally between 27 and 36 weeks, and for each pregnancybecause the vaccine will pass some short-term protection on to their babies early in their lives.

Who should not get the whooping cough vaccine? People who have previously had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine, which is rare.

Read Also: Tdap Vaccine At Cvs

When Do I Need To Get This Vaccine And How Often

“We vaccinate our children against whooping cough, of course, and that has been successful. But we’ve learned that once people become young adults, the immunity wanes a little, so now outbreaks are happening in various places around the country. There is a relatively new vaccine that adds whooping cough to the familiar diphtheria and tetanus shot. Next time you get this shot, it will likely be Tdap, which stands for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. That will protect patients and help prevent them from transmitting the disease to others.”

How Do I Spot Whooping Cough In My Baby

Be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, which include severe coughing fits that may be accompanied by difficulty breathing or vomiting after coughing, and the characteristic “whoop” sound.

If you are worried your baby may have whooping cough, contact your doctor immediately.

Read more about whooping cough vaccination in the leaflet Whooping cough and pregnancy from Public Health England.

Also Check: Cvs Tdap Shot

Do The Benefits Of The Diphtheria Vaccine Outweigh Its Risks

Diphtheria is an extremely rare cause of disease in the United States. Over the past 20 years there have been only about 15 cases of diphtheria and fewer than five deaths. The last death from diphtheria in the United States was in 2003. Most cases of diphtheria are imported in fact, there have been no cases in U.S. residents since 1999. On the other hand, the diphtheria vaccine has no serious side effects. So although the risk of disease and death from diphtheria is very small, the risk of severe adverse reactions or death from the diphtheria vaccine is zero. In addition, drops in immunization rates in other parts of the world have taught us how quickly outbreaks of diphtheria can return. For these reasons, the benefits of the diphtheria vaccine outweigh its risks.

Transporting Storing And Handling Vaccines

Transport according to National Vaccine Storage Guidelines: Strive for 5.85 Store at +2°C to +8°C. Do not freeze. Protect from light.

Infanrix hexa vaccine must be reconstituted. Add the entire contents of the syringe to the vial and shake until the pellet completely dissolves. Use the reconstituted vaccine as soon as practicable. If it must be stored, hold at room temperature for no more than 8 hours.

Don’t Miss: Cheapest Shingles Shot