Published on September 25, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Many people may think of whooping cough as a disease of the past -- something eradicated generations ago. However, the number of cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that whooping cough is still very much a public health concern; health experts estimate that up to 600,000 cases occur each year in adults alone.
Today, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) announces the launch of "Vaccination Matters: Help Protect Families from Whooping Cough," a public health initiative about the importance of whooping cough vaccination for adolescents and adults.
A recent national survey revealed that more than three-quarters of adults (76 percent) didn't know or didn't think that whooping cough remains widespread in the United States. Many adults (61 percent) are not even aware that there is a vaccine for whooping cough.
"These survey results, along with CDC data and reports of whooping cough outbreaks, demonstrate the need to provide the public with more information about whooping cough and how to help prevent it," said Ted Epperly, MD, FAAFP, president, the American Academy of Family Physicians. "For protection against whooping cough, health experts including the CDC and the AAFP recommend that most adolescents and adults get a single dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine to replace Td (tetanus and diphtheria toxoids)."
SOURCE: The American Academy of Family Physicians