COLUMBUS, Ohio – People across Ohio are being urged to get vaccinated against whooping cough.
The Ohio Department of Health says outbreaks of the contagious disease are popping up, with more than 900 cases reported statewide.
Many children have been vaccinated against whooping cough, or pertussis, but they want adults to get their shots to protect young children.
Pertussis is most severe for babies, who often catch the illness from a family member or other caregiver.
More than half of infants less than one year old who get the disease must be hospitalized and one in 100 will die, director Dr. Ted Wymyslo said.
“If your family is going to be welcoming a new baby or if you are a caregiver to young children, it is especially important to get a pertussis booster shot. Not only will it lessen your illness if you get whooping cough, but it can help protect infants who haven’t had a chance to get the full series of vaccinations yet,” he said.
So far in 2013, the 901 cases reported in Ohio is a 20 percent increase compared to 2012. In recent years, the number of reported cases in Ohio peaked at 1,858 in 2010.
There are pertussis vaccines for infants, children, preteens, teens and adults and both provide protection against tetanus and diphtheria as well as pertussis. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP, and the pertussis booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is called Tdap.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, immunization for children starts at two months and continues at 4, 6, 12 months with a final dose before kindergarten. Starting last year, the state requires seventh-graders to get an adult Tdap booster. Pregnant women should get immunized during each pregnancy. Other adults should get the Tdap shot once, especially if they are around infants. The Tdap vaccine also contains a tetanus shot.