The tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (tdap) vaccine can protect against some serious diseases. Tetanus, or lockjaw, can lead to painful muscle tightening in the head and neck or all over the body and kills one out of ten affected. Diphtheria causes a thick coating to form in the back of the throat, potentially causing breathing problems, heart failure, or death. Although these two diseases are rare in the United States, pertussis (whooping cough) is much more prevalent. There were 28,660 cases of pertussis reported to the CDC in 2014. Pertussis causes severe coughing spells that can lead to difficulty breathing. Up to 5 in 100 adults with pertussis are hospitalized or have complications such as pneumonia. Pertussis is even more dangerous in infants, since half of babies less than one year old are hospitalized and 1-2 in 100 cases result in death.
The best way to prevent these diseases is by getting vaccinated. The vaccine is also recommended for anyone having close contact with a baby younger than 12 months, especially pregnant women at 27 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. A tetanus and diphtheria (td) booster is recommended every 10 years. Read more about the tdap vaccine by clicking here.
If you have never received a tdap vaccine then you may qualify for a clinical trial. Click here to contact us to learn more about this study.
