By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
Howell resident Rosemarie Auletto’s getting her yearly physical and a vaccine in the hopes of preventing whooping cough.
“I like to take care of my health,” she said. “I try to be very proactive when it come to health matters.”
“Whooping cough is an illness caused by a bacteria called bordetella pertussis. This is a bacteria known to produce a very characteristic sound with coughing fits. That’s where it got it’s name, whooping cough,” said Dr. Adam Kaplan.
Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s Dr. Kaplan says the infection is highly contagious and can be deadly.
“Especially in the infant population, less then 12 months old,” he said. “It is a significant cause of mortality in that age group.”
The New Jersey Department of Health tells NJTV News so far this year there are 307 pertussis cases in the state. The agency reported 391 cases in 2014 and 406 cases the year before that. The most cases reported in New Jersey occurred in 2012 as part of a national increase in pertussis – 1,395 pertussis cases were reported among residents.
Kaplan says there are two different vaccines that protect against whooping cough: DTaP and Tdap.
“One of them, the ‘T’ in Tdap, stands for tetanus. The ‘D’ in Tdap stands for Diphtheria, and lastly the ‘P’ in Tdap stands for pertussis,” he said.
Children typically get a number of doses of the DTaP vaccine. Still, it’s not a one shot deal after that.
“Our body’s ability to remember that immune response kind of goes down,” Kaplan said, “so, what is recommended is that we at least get one booster shot after age of 11 to help keep this immunity going.”
He says all pregnant women should discuss getting the vaccine with their physicians. He says getting the shot during pregnancy can help the baby in two ways; the mother’s antibodies can be passed to the baby protecting him or her right after birth, and it also lowers the mother’s chances of getting the infection.
The CDC says anyone who is around babies should be up-to-date with their whooping cough vaccine. Adults can easily pass on the infection to babies because they may not even realize they have it, insists Kaplan.
“Whooping cough is a very actually protracted disease that takes the course of about six weeks. The initial phase, the first one to two weeks, is categorized by really allergy like symptoms, so it’s tough to catch,” he said.
Auletto doesn’t want to take any chances. She has eight grandchildren.
“I want to keep my grandchildren safe and the children around me,” she said.
She didn’t even flinch when she got the shot. This grandmother’s focused on a happy, healthy holiday with her family.