Pertussis Prophylaxis

Pertussis General Information

The clinical term, Pertussis is known to be synonym with “whooping cough”, a very contagious infectious disorder of the respiratory tract. Although the presence of this medical disease (in its early stages) is known to be widely mistaken for the presence of a common cold, whooping cough is a quite dangerous medical condition, especially in the case of infant patients. Most individuals describe the symptoms of this medical disorder as hacking, severe cough that is adjacent to a high-pitched sound that accompanies the breathing in of fresh air.

The number of reported cases of Pertussis has been constantly increasing (especially among very young infants who have not yet received all their vaccines and among other patients who are suffering from a clinical disorder that affects their immune system responses). If the individual who is diagnosed with the presence of this illness receives an adequate therapy in due time (in the early stages of the condition), he or she should easily recover, without experiencing any unpleasant complications. The presence of this medical disorder is much more severe in the case of children, especially those younger than 6 months of age. The average incubation period for “whooping cough” is known to range between 3 and 12 days. After this period in which the individual does not experience any unusual symptoms, he or she starts to develop various clinical manifestations that resemble those of a common cold (dry cough, mild fever, sneezing, runny nose, and so on).

Pertussis Prophylaxis

Scientists consider that the best way of ensuring Pertussis Prophylaxis is being administered is the vaccine against this medical condition, which is often prescribed in combination with other two immunization solutions, those that protect one against tetanus and diphtheria (other severe medical disorders). This complex vaccine that is able to protect the patient against 3 medical disorders is commonly called the DTaP vaccine (for those of you who were familiar with the DTP vaccine, this new immunization solution is newer and far more effective; the previous version of this vaccine can no longer be used in the US).

Physicians recommend that all children should be included in a Pertussis Prophylaxis program. Most individuals receive their series of 5 vaccines (that are generally administrated in the arm) at 2, 4, 6, 16 months and at 5 years. Although a child becomes immune to this medical condition (whooping cough) after being administered 3 doses of the vaccine, physicians recommend that the total number of 5 vaccines should be prescribed by the age of 6. As the effects of the vaccine against whooping cough tend to ware off starting at the age of 11, and because numerous adolescents from all over the world become infected with this medical condition, most Pertussis Prophylaxis guide-books recommend parents to make sure that their adolescent children are administered a booster vaccine against this infectious medical condition. This vaccine should be given to the teenager at the age of 12. This immunization procedure is known to generally replace the traditional Td (diphtheria and tetanus vaccine) that a patient is known to generally receive at this age.

Although the presence of this medical condition in adult patients is not that severe, it is best to avoid becoming affected with whooping cough at any age. For this reason, Pertussis Prophylaxis guide-books recommend the adult patient to receive the adult form of the Tdap (booster vaccine). This vaccine ought to be administered every 10 years. Receiving this medical solution will not only prevent the individual from experiencing this clinical condition, but it will also prevent him or her from transmitting the infection to another individual (this is especially important if the patient is in close contact with infants under one year of age). The administration of the vaccine against whooping cough may lead to the development of some unwanted side effects that include irritability, fever, soreness at the site of the injection, and so on. These effects reach the peak of their severity after the patient has been administered the fourth or fifth dose of his vaccine.

Pertussis Treatment

The therapy against Pertussis is known to vary from one clinical case to another, as it depends on the patient’s age, general health condition, severity of the disorder, and so on. In the case of adult patients, adolescents and older children who are diagnosed with the presence of whooping cough, physicians will prescribe antibiotic therapy (with Erythromycin and / or Azithromycin) along with intensive bed rest. Although the antibiotic therapy against this medical condition cannot cure it, it may shorten the duration of the therapy. 

Almost all young children who are suffering from whooping cough are generally hospitalized as soon as possible. The therapy for most babies who have Pertussis has proven to be quite effective. However, the risk of developing unwanted complications remains until the infection has been completely cleared. In the hospital, the patient may start a therapy with corticosteroid medicines (which are effective against reducing the inflammation of airways). In some cases, the suctioning of the airways is known to remove the unwanted mucus that blocks them.