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Whooping Cough Is Back. Do You Need a Tdap Booster?
With pertussis on the rise, make sure you’re up to date with this vaccine
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Talk about an unwelcome comeback. Reports of whooping cough cases, which have been lower than usual these past few years, are creeping back up to pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cases of the highly contagious infection, caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria, are five times higher this year compared to the same time in 2023, preliminary data from the CDC shows. This year’s numbers (14,569 cases as of Sept. 14) are also higher than they were in September 2019, before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Preventing whooping cough
There is a way to prevent whopping cough, which can cause coughing fits so intense it becomes hard to breathe — and that’s with a vaccine.
In the first year after vaccination, Tdap (for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) prevents the illness in about 7 of 10 people who receive the shot. The vaccine can also help keep you from passing on the virus to other people, including babies and young children, who are at highest risk for complications from an infection, says Gregory Poland, M.D., an infectious disease expert and director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group. That’s why it is crucial for people who have close contact with children younger than 12 months — including parents, grandparents and childcare providers — to get a booster.
Older adults can experience a bad case too, especially people who are frail or have underlying respiratory conditions.
If you can’t remember ever getting this shot, you probably need it, since its protection wanes over time. A bonus: This can also count for one of the Td boosters you’re supposed to get every 10 years to prevent your diphtheria and tetanus immunizations (you know, the shot you need after stepping on a rusty nail during a home renovation or after getting a nasty nip from that rambunctious new puppy) from fading.
Need another reason to roll up your sleeve? A 2021 study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, found that the Tdap vaccination is associated with a 42 percent lower dementia risk in older adults. However, the study authors noted: “Several vaccine types are linked to decreased dementia risk, suggesting that these associations are due to nonspecific effects on inflammation rather than vaccine-induced pathogen-specific protective effects.”
What to know about the Tdap vaccine
Who needs it: The Tdap vaccine is a triple whammy, protecting against tetanus and diphtheria as well as offering an additional defense against whooping cough. Can’t remember if you ever got the shot? Get it anyway. The three-in-one Tdap vaccine can count as one of the Td boosters you need to get every 10 years. Inform your doctor if you have epilepsy or other nervous system problems, had severe swelling or pain after a previous dose of either vaccine or have (or had) Guillain-Barré syndrome.
How often: You get Tdap only once, and after that you still need a booster (either Tdap or Td) every 10 years. Otherwise, your protection against tetanus and diphtheria will fade.
Why you need it: Whooping cough isn’t just a childhood disease. Due to a rise in cases in the U.S. — particularly among adults and adolescents — you need to be vaccinated, even if you’re over 65.
Editor’s note: This article was published on Oct. 26, 2020. It has been updated with new information.
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