Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable coughing, often leading to a whooping sound as the person breathes in after coughing. The respiratory disease is generally transmitted from the infected person to others via the droplets of mucus that can disburse in the air when the person coughs. The illness is generally associated with children, but people of any age can be affected. It is generally recommended that adolescents and adults get immunized every 10 to 15 years.

If you're not sure when you had your last whooping cough booster, especially if you are around small children a lot, now is a good time to check with your primary care physician about getting immunized. The vaccine is available for all who need it. For more information about whooping cough, visit the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov.

Through the Washington on Wheels (W.O.W.) Mobile Health Clinic, Washington Hospital is helping to make whooping cough immunizations available to the community as well as on school campuses. The W.O.W van will conduct walk-in whooping cough (Tdap) immunization clinics every Tuesday at the Fremont Family Resource Center, 39155 Liberty St., Fremont, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.whhs.com/wow or call 510.608.3203 for further information.

Click on the here for more information about whooping cough vaccinations.