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 do not always generate sufficient protection in everyone for many various reasons.
Some relate to vaccine timing or a recent illnesses, while some people 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 10-12 as a part of routine vaccinations that are recommended for all children. Re-vaccination recommendations for all ages are available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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