Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ95dMcNFoP/Twice as many Americans have developed the whooping cough or pertussis this year as last year, and four have died.  Half of them were little children.  There are two reasons: ONE — vaccinations have fallen off due to misinformation and bad medical advice; and TWO — the latest vaccines provide protection for shorter periods of time.Keep in mind that whooping cough protection is provided by the so-called DTaP and Tdap vaccines that guard against diphtheria and tetanus as well as pertussis.  The newest vaccines are so called partial-cell vaccines, and their beneficial effects wear off as quickly as 3 years.Know that children should receive 5 doses of these vaccines by age 4.  Teens require a booster by age 12 and adults also require boosters every 10 years.  Pregnant women should receive a booster during their third trimester in order to protect their newborns.These vaccines are safe and 98% effective.  A temporarily sore arm or a mild fever is a small price to p