Health department encourages people to get vaccinated for whooping cough

Young girl getting bandage on her arm

This article was posted on Up North Live. Read more here. 

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan wants people to stay up to date on their vaccines after confirming a case of whooping cough.

Dr. Joshua Meyerson said whooping cough is very contagious.

While the disease can be milder in adults, especially if they’re vaccinated, younger infants often experience breathing problems, convulsions, and pneumonia.

The CDC says 1 in 100 infants will die from complications if infected.

“The best thing you can do certainly is to make sure that you and your children and the people around you are up to date with your vaccine schedules and getting routine DTaPs,”Dr. Meyerson said.

“For adults who don’t remember when their last DTaP was, if it’s been more than 10 years or if they never had one, they certainly can be up to date with their vaccines,” Dr. Meyerson said.

Dr. Meyerson said whooping cough is on the rise in Michigan, including a case in Grand Traverse County.

He said HDNW has DTaP vaccines available for both children and adults.

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You’ve got questions. That’s a good thing.

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