Local Pertussis increase

There has been an increase of Pertussis in our area, it’s commonly known as “Whooping Cough.” What may be ‘just a cough’ for an adult can be deadly for a baby.

Whooping Cough can cause difficulty breathing and the most common symptom in infants is coughing fits. It could seem like a cold but the distinct wheezing and “whooping” noise is what sets it apart.

Babies can’t be vaccinated until they’re two months, so it’s important to be up to date on your shots if you plan on being around an infant.

“With the vaccine, it’s every 10 years. That’s included in your tetanus booster, so we encourage people to check and see when they had their last tetanus booster and get updated with that then you’ll be up to speed with their whooping cough vaccine,” says Mike Taylor, Surveillance Epidemiologist with Eastern Idaho Public Health.

The sooner you get checked out and treated the better. There are antibiotics for adults.

Always remember to wash your hands to prevent the spread of germs when dealing with little ones.