Question: Now that whooping cough is making its way across the country, I’m wondering about vaccination. We all had shots as youngsters, should we get a "booster shot" now? And at what age?
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
You are correct. We all need a booster shot. We have found that the whooping cough (pertussis) component of the childhood vaccine does not always generate sufficient protection for everyone. Vaccine timing or a recent illness can have an impact on the vaccine's effectiveness. Some people also simply have a poor response to vaccination.
All adults over 19 years of age should receive a Tdap vaccination to ensure optimal protection from pertussis, regardless of when their last tetanus or diptheria vaccine was received. All adolescents should have received a Tdap at age 10-2 as a part of routine vaccinations recommended for all children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's re-vaccination recommendations for all ages are available on the
CDC Website.
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