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A rising threat of pertussis
The reported incidence of infant pertussis in the United States has increased almost 17 times since 1979.9
Families spread it
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We thought our childhood vaccinations had us covered.
Read the storyWhooping cough is highly contagious
You could pass pertussis to your baby.
If one member of a household has it, there's a 80% to 100% chance that other susceptible household members will catch it.1,2
Adult immunity wears off
Infants are at risk for pertussis
Football team passes around pertussis
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Ask your doctor about the adult pertussis vaccine and get your booster today.
Read the storyPertussis is preventable
Questions for your doctor
Talk to your doctor about the Tdap pertussis booster and make an appointment to get vaccinated.
Ask your doctor:
1. How will getting a pertussis booster (Tdap) help protect my baby?
2. If I got vaccinated when I was a child, why do I need to do this again as an adult?
3. Who else should get vaccinated to help protect my baby from pertussis?
4. When is the best time to get vaccinated?
5. Will I experience any side effects from the Tdap booster?
6. Are there any other steps I should take to help protect my baby from pertussis (whooping cough)?
7. What other diseases should I get vaccinated against (ie, hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, pneumonia, meningitis, chicken pox/zoster)?
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Even when you get your baby vaccinated, he or she may not be fully protected until he or she has received at least 3 doses of the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) vaccine.11 Until babies have received the infant series of immunizations, they are most vulnerable to pertussis.1 You can create a 'cocoon' of protection around babies by making sure your infant is fully vaccinated and by getting those who are closest to your baby to receive a single dose of the adult pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine.2,7
Adults need to get vaccinated, too
Babies are at risk for pertussis
Follow the infant immunization schedule
Prevention is the best defense
Find out more about childhood vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the latest news and information on the importance of childhood immunization.