Parents are urged to have infants vaccinated for the whooping cough or pertussis on schedule.
Three cases of whooping cough have been reported in infants under 6 months old in the past couple of weeks in the Louisville area. Health officials call this very unusual.
Dr. Sarah Moyer, Interim Director of Louisville Metro Health and Wellness, said it’s dangerous in infants, especially under a year old. About 50 percent of them can end up in the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Moyer says staying on schedule is crucial because the vaccine has changed.
Babies should get the DTaP vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months. Boosters come at ages 15 to 18 months, and again at 4 to 6 years old.
All parents, family members or caretakers of children should also get a Tdap vaccine, the one for adolescents or adults, because it can wear off over time.
It is also recommended for all pregnant women in their last trimester of pregnancy get a booster of the pertussis, and that’s in every pregnancy.
Moyer says there has been an increase in the number of whooping cough cases in school-aged children, so parents should stay up to date on boosters and teachers need to get the shot as well.
Jefferson County has had 22 cases of pertussis this year, far ahead of the surrounding counties, which only have a few each. Spencer County, by comparison, has had none.
Source: WAVE
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