Panel: All adults should get whooping cough shots

AP ^ | Feb. 22, 2012 | MIKE STOBBE

[wtd]

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal advisory panel wants all U.S. adults to get vaccinated against whooping cough.

The panel voted Wednesday to expand its recommendation to include all those 65 and older who haven't gotten a whooping cough shot as an adult.

Children have been vaccinated against whooping cough since the 1940s, but a vaccine for adolescents and adults was not licensed until 2005.

Since then, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has gradually added groups of adults to its recommendations, including 2010 advice that it be given to elderly people who spend a lot of time around infants.

Wednesday's recommendation means now all adults should get at least one dose.

[excerpt]

[wtd]

Estimates range widely for how effective the vaccine is at preventing whooping cough in older adults, or how much its protection wanes years afterward. Online:

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/ACIP/

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

No, thanks.

[saganite]

Just mandate it. Hell, we’re way past the stage where we have to convince anyone to do anything the government believes is good for you.

[ILS21R]

[onemiddleamerican]

I got one in 2007 when it was time for me to get my tetanus booster. The doc made a good case for it, so I got it. IIRC, it was called DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis). No ill effects that I could tell.

[gundog]

I’m guessing that it’s migrating north with the cranes. We really need to test those birds at the border.

[onemiddleamerican]

Small correction... I dug out my papers... It’s called Tdap; I got the letters mixed up.

[rickomatic]

Small correction... I dug out my papers... It’s called Tdap; I got the letters mixed up.

No Ill effects at all? Looks to me like it gave you dyslexia. :)

[onemiddleamerican]

Good idea! I’ll blame it on the vaccine.

;-)

[garv]

We’ve had multiple outbreaks in my kids’ school district. At one point you needed to provide proof of vaccination to volunteer or chaperone at my daughter’s school.

[poobear]

Most of us 45 and older have been vaccinated out the ying yang. It's the OTHER older how shall I say “undocumented immigrants” that haven't and they won't. I feel sorry for their babies and grand babies.

[LaRueLaDue]

I think the bigger issue here is why are we seeing an increase in the occurrence of this disease? Why do we need to increase the number of people getting the vaccination? I thought that this was a childhood disease, and was essentially eradicated years ago...

[chris_bdba]

No I will not do this.I am never around children and with my already problems with autoimmune diseases I do nothing that could trigger it to react.

[donna]

A goal of the recommendation is to prevent teens and adults from spreading the disease to infants, although there's not good evidence this "herd immunity" approach has worked so far.

It's just my personal opinion:
1) Mothers used to keep their infants at home away from germs until at least 6-months. Now they abandon infants to daycare.
2) Illegal aliens are spreading diseases.

[x_plus_one]

You can catch bordatella from a dog. Bordatella is canine pertussis or whooping cough - according to the vet. New tetanus shots for adults are now DTP = Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis. Get a tetanus shot = get a whooping cough vaccination. Not a bad idea since adults can pass whooping cough it to little kids very easily.

[LaRueLaDue]

1) Mothers used to keep their infants at home away from germs until at least 6-months. Now they abandon infants to daycare. 2) Illegal aliens are spreading diseases.

I think both factor in, but item (2) is the bigger problem. They are bring in the diseases, in addition to spreading them around.

[Kevmo]

I caught Whooping Cough when I was a kid. Nasty deal.

[Fire_on_High]

I got mine about 2 years ago. Sore arm for a day or two, nothing more. Absolutely worth it given the crimmigrant invasion.