Whooping cough can be serious for anyone, but it is life-threatening in newborns and young babies.
The younger the baby is when he gets whooping cough, the more likely he will need to be treated in a hospital.
Priority: Preventing Infant Deaths through Vaccination
There are currently no whooping cough vaccines licensed or recommended for newborns at birth. For this reason, three vaccination strategies are used in combination with each other to provide the best protection possible to newborns and young babies:
- Vaccinate pregnant women in their third trimester to give their newborns short-term immunity.
- Vaccinate family members and caregivers before they meet the baby.
- Vaccinate babies on time, beginning at 2 months of age, so they build their own immunity.
Every Pregnancy Vaccination Recommendation
CDC recommends that pregnant women receive the whooping cough vaccine called Tdap during each pregnancy. By doing so, the mother’s body creates protective antibodies and passes some of them to her baby before birth. These antibodies give babies some short-term protection against whooping cough until they can begin building their own immunity through childhood vaccinations.
Antibody levels are highest about two weeks after getting the vaccine. The vaccine is recommended in the third trimester, preferably between the 27th and 36th week of pregnancy, so the mother gives her baby the most protection (antibodies).
The amount of whooping cough antibodies in a person decreases over time. This is why women need a whooping cough vaccine during each pregnancy so high levels of protective antibodies are transferred to each baby.
Learn more about vaccinating against whooping cough.
Childhood Vaccine Recommendation
The whooping cough vaccine for children (2 months through 6 years) is called DTaP. Children need their whooping cough vaccine on time as it is the best way to prevent whooping cough during childhood. DTaP vaccines should be given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age to build up high levels of protection. Booster shots are needed at 15 through 18 months and at 4 through 6 years to maintain that protection.
Vaccine Safety and Side Effects
Vaccines, including whooping cough vaccines, are held to the highest standards of safety. Experts have studied the whooping cough vaccine for adolescents and adults (Tdap), and they have concluded that it is very safe for pregnant women and their babies. Results from many clinical trials showed that DTaP vaccines are very safe for infants and children. CDC continually monitors whooping cough vaccine safety.
While whooping cough vaccines (Tdap and DTaP) are safe, side effects can occur. The most common side effects are mild (redness, swelling, tenderness) and serious side effects are extremely rare.
Getting whooping cough or a whooping cough vaccine (as a child or an adult) does not provide lifetime protection. In general, DTaP vaccination is effective for 89 out of 100 children who receive it, and Tdap vaccination protects 65 out of 100 people who receive it. Protection from both whooping cough vaccines fades over time, but people who are vaccinated and get whooping cough later are typically protected against severe illness.
Get more information from the CDC about protecting babies from whooping cough.
Kikohozi cha kikohozi chaweza kuwa hatari kwa mtu yeyote, lakini kinaweza kuhatarisha uhai wa watoto wachanga na watoto wachanga. Kadiri mtoto alivyo mdogo, ndivyo atakavyopaswa kutibiwa hospitalini. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Kuzuia vifo vya watoto wachanga kupitia chanjo"" ni hatua ya kwanza katika mpango wa chanjo ya kikohozi cha kikohozi, ambayo haijawahi kuidhinishwa au kupendekezwa kwa watoto wachanga." Kwa sababu hii, mikakati mitatu ya chanjo hutumiwa kwa mchanganyiko na kila mmoja ili kutoa ulinzi bora iwezekanavyo kwa watoto wachanga na watoto wachanga: - chanjo wanawake wajawazito katika trimester yao ya tatu ili kuwapa watoto wao wa muda mfupi kinga. - Wape chanjo washiriki wa familia na watunzaji kabla ya kukutana na mtoto. - Wazawe chanjo kwa wakati, kuanzia miezi miwili, ili waweze kujenga kinga yao wenyewe. Kwa mujibu wa CDC, wanawake wajawazito wanapaswa kupatiwa chanjo ya kikohozi cha kikohozi (TDAP) wakati wa ujauzito. Kwa kufanya hivyo, mwili wa mama hutokeza chembe za kinga na kupitisha baadhi ya chembe hizo kwa mtoto wake kabla ya kuzaliwa. Antibodies hizi huwapa watoto ulinzi wa muda mfupi dhidi ya kikohozi cha kikohozi hadi waweze kuanza kujenga kinga yao wenyewe kupitia chanjo za utotoni. Kiwango cha kingamwili ni cha juu zaidi karibu wiki mbili baada ya kupokea chanjo. Chanjo hiyo inashauriwa katika miezi mitatu ya ujauzito, ikiwezekana kati ya wiki ya 27 na 36 ya ujauzito, ili mama ampe mtoto wake ulinzi mkubwa zaidi (antibodies). Kiasi cha kingamwili cha kikohozi cha kikohozi katika mtu hupungua kadiri wakati unavyopita. Kwa hiyo, wanawake wanahitaji chanjo ya kikohozi cha kikohozi wakati wa kila ujauzito, kwa hivyo viwango vya juu vya kinga ya kikohozi hupitishwa kwa kila mtoto. Jifunze zaidi kuhusu chanjo dhidi ya kikohozi cha kikohozi. Dawa ya chanjo ya kikohozi cha watoto (miaka 2 hadi miaka 6) inaitwa DTaP. Watoto wanahitaji chanjo ya kikohozi cha kikohozi kwa wakati kwani ni njia bora ya kuzuia kikohozi cha kikohozi wakati wa utoto. Dawa ya DTP inapaswa kutolewa kwa watoto wenye umri wa miezi 2, 4 na 6 ili kuimarisha kiwango cha juu cha ulinzi. Shots za booster zinahitajika katika miezi 15 hadi 18 na katika miaka 4 hadi 6 ili kudumisha ulinzi huo. Usalama wa chanjo na athari za upande Chanjo, ikiwa ni pamoja na chanjo za kikohozi, hufanyika kwa viwango vya juu zaidi vya usalama. Wataalamu wa afya wametathmini chanjo ya kikohozi cha kichefuchefu kwa vijana na watu wazima (Tdap) na wamegundua kuwa ni salama sana kwa wanawake wajawazito na watoto wao. Matokeo ya majaribio mengi ya kliniki yalionyesha kwamba chanjo za DTaP ni salama sana kwa watoto wachanga na watoto. CDC inaweka kiwango cha juu cha usalama wa chanjo ya kikohozi. Wakati chanjo za kikohozi cha kikohozi (Tdap na DTaP) ni salama, athari za upande zinaweza kutokea. Madhara ya kawaida ni ya upole (kuchanganyikiwa, uvimbe, uchungu) na athari mbaya ni nadra sana. Kupokea chanjo ya kikohozi au kikohozi (kama mtoto au mtu mzima) haitoi kinga ya maisha. Kwa ujumla, chanjo ya DTP inasaidia watoto 89 kati ya 100 ambao hupokea chanjo hiyo, na chanjo ya TTP inasaidia watu 65 kati ya 100 ambao hupokea chanjo hiyo. Ulinzi kutoka kwa chanjo zote mbili za kikohozi cha kikohozi hupungua kwa muda, lakini watu ambao wamepatiwa chanjo na kupata kikohozi cha kikohozi baadaye kwa kawaida wanalindwa dhidi ya ugonjwa mbaya. Kwa maelezo zaidi, tafadhali wasiliana na CDC ili kupata maelezo zaidi kuhusu jinsi ya kuepuka ugonjwa wa kikohozi.