Video: 'Sounds of Pertussis' Campaign Urges Adults to Take Action During National Immunization Aware...(ssis. Accordingly the Centers f...),Health

Accordingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults and adolescents 11 through 64 years of age, especially those who have close contact with an infant, be immunized with a tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) booster. The CDC also recommends that new mothers get the Tdap vaccination in the immediate postpartum period to protect themselves from pertussis and reduce the risk for exposing their infants to the disease.

Adults who received vaccinations when they were children may mistakenly believe that they are still protected against pertussis, but immunity wears off over five to 10 years, leaving them vulnerable to contracting and spreading the disease.

"Despite the CDC recommendations, a 2007 survey showed that fewer than two percent of adults 18 through 64 years of age had ever received a Tdap vaccination," said Dr. Fleischman. "It is our goal with this campaign to ensure that all new parents are aware of pertussis and that they speak with their health-care providers about getting vaccinated."

National Immunization Awareness Month

National Immunization Awareness Month is designated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each August as the perfect time to remind family, friends, co-workers and those in the community to catch up on their vaccinations. Communities are encouraged to plan local health screenings or fairs, media events and other related immunization outreach efforts during the month of August to promote the benefits of immunization. Immunization is one of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century. Vaccines have eradicated smallpox, eliminated wild poliovirus in the United States, and significantly reduced the number of cases of measles, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis and other diseases. But despite these efforts, people in the U.S. still die
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