Posted on: September 16, 2013
Whooping Cough: Are You Vaccinated?
by Dr. Navid Mootabar, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northern Westchester Hospital. & Dr. Peter Richel, Chief of Pediatrics, Northern Westchester Hospital
Pertussis — more commonly known as whooping cough — might seem like an outdated concern. However, cases have been on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The thought had been that there was lifelong immunity from the vaccine. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Immunity lasts about five to ten years. In 2010 there were 27,550 cases of pertussis in the United States, and 3,350 were in infants less than six months of age; the infection was fatal for 25 of those infants. That’s why the CDC now recommends that all pregnant women be immunized.