Whooping cough is making a comeback in the United States, with the number of cases increasing 4.5 times this year compared to last year, according to the CDC. Likewise in France, the whooping cough epidemic of 2024 is the largest in at least 25 years.
This highly contagious respiratory disease poses a serious threat that particularly worries parents. However, the protection of infants begins with the establishment of clear limits among those around them and the implementation of preventive measures by parents. [1].
Prevention involves asking grandparents, friends and others around them to take precautions before meeting the newborn.
Asking people to take medical precautions is not always well received. Yet it is important to do so.
“Babies are very vulnerable during the first six months of their life,” explains the Dre Rachel C. Orschelnmedical director of outpatient pediatric infectious diseases at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. (St. Louis Children’s Hospital). “So we try to surround them with several levels of protection” [1].
The stakes are high: Bordetella pertussisthe bacteria that causes whooping cough, spreads easily through small airborne particles, often hiding behind symptoms that resemble those of a common cold. However, with the right strategies, parents and caregivers can work together to keep infants safe [2]. Instructions for use.
Set limits, enforce them and explain why
Les CDC [2] and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that parents, caregivers (including children and adolescents), and caregivers who will be in close contact with a newborn receive pertussis vaccination and booster vaccinations. Immunity against whooping cough develops approximately two weeks after vaccination [3].
“As whooping cough is most serious in children under one year of age, anyone in close contact with infants must be up to date with their vaccinations,” explains the Dr Dean Blumbergchief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of California (Davis, USA) and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics [4].
“This protects the infant by reducing the risk that contact potentially contaminates it.” About a third of babies with whooping cough need to be hospitalized. And almost all deaths from whooping cough occur in children under the age of one. »
It is essential to ask visitors with cold symptoms to postpone their visit. “Whooping cough is usually spread through close contact, within 3 feet of an infant,” says Dr. Blumberg.
“Excluding visitors who have symptoms such as fever, cough, sneezing – is always a good strategy to protect infants from whooping cough and other respiratory infections.”
It’s up to parents to decide what measures they want to put in place to protect their baby, experts say. But, in general, it’s best to take stricter measures for infants, because that’s when whooping cough is most severe, Dr. Blumberg insisted.
Dr. Orscheln agrees: “I tend to be more restrictive with visitors overall, especially during the first month of life. After that, if you have symptoms or are sick, do not go near a newborn. If you must be in contact with a baby and you have symptoms, think you might develop them, or are not sure if you have been vaccinated, wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, and do not don’t come any closer” [5].
Don’t assume that your friends and family are already vaccinated against whooping cough. Also don’t think people will know if they’re up to date. Adults, preteens, and adolescents should receive a DTPC vaccine (short for tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and pertussis) followed by a booster every 10 years. Children should receive all recommended DTPC (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccines. However, only 28% of American adults are vaccinated, according to CDC statistics from 2022 [5] and childhood vaccination rates have declined slightly in recent years, according to a study published in October in the CDC’s Monthly Morbidity and Mortality Report [6].
Dr. Blumberg urges parents to set boundaries firmly but politely.
“It can be difficult to explain the rules you follow to protect your newborn, because we don’t all share the same values when it comes to health, risk of infection, and protection from infection,” she said. he pointed out. “However, parents are responsible for protecting their babies, and so I hope that they are comfortable making logical and reasonable decisions for them, and that they expect others to respect their role of parents. »
Questions and answers
Below are some frequently asked questions about whooping cough and whooping cough vaccines.
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Are mothers and babies not vaccinated against whooping cough? Isn’t that enough?
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Infants receive their first DTPC vaccines at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, but their own immunity to whooping cough is very low before 6 months of age. [6] ; vulnerability is high until the age of one year. Mothers who receive a DTPC booster during pregnancy reduce their baby’s risk of infection by 78% and risk of hospitalization by 91%. “However, this does not completely protect an infant from infection,” according to Dr. Orscheln. Note that in France, the vaccination rate of pregnant women against whooping cough has increased sharply since 2021 and reached around 65% in the epidemic context of 2023-2024, according to Health Insurance.
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Can adults get whooping cough?
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Yes, and the risk is four times higher for people with lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. After age 45, the risk of hospitalization for severe whooping cough also increases [7]. Lack of awareness about whooping cough among adults is one of the main reasons they don’t get vaccinated, CDC study finds [8]. “Older people can become infected with whooping cough, which can cause severe and prolonged symptoms,” said Dr. Orscheln. “Getting vaccinated is not just a matter of altruism. It also protects your health. »
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My doctor never recommended the vaccine, should I do it?
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Don’t wait for your doctor to broach the subject first. In a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh, published last month in the journal BMC Primary Careof 800 doctors in the United States, Germany and France, only 65% said universal pertussis vaccination was a priority. More cited vaccination against Covid-19, flu and pneumonia [9]. However, new parents can suggest that their loved ones ask their doctor about the benefits and safety of the vaccine. “In studies, the only thing that makes things happen is the recommendation of a trusted healthcare professional,” said Dr. Orscheln.
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I believe I was vaccinated against tetanus a few years ago, did the vaccine cover whooping cough?
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Adults may not remember the date of their last DTPC booster or whether their last vaccine was a “DT” or an older type, for diphtheria and tetanus, or a “DTPC” which includes pertussis. CDC statistics show that for about 31% of American adults [2] having received a tetanus and diphtheria vaccine in the last ten years, it did not cover whooping cough. Check your vaccination status with your primary care physician, suggests Dr. Blumberg. “Some adults may have received the DT vaccine, which protects against tetanus and diphtheria, but not against whooping cough. They can still receive the DTPC vaccine after the DT vaccine, without a minimum interval being necessary between doses.”
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I have a little cough; can I assume it’s not whooping cough?
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Loud gasps that sound like a scream, between violent coughs, are a feature of childhood whooping cough that may be mild or absent in infected adults. [10]. “Almost all cases are transmitted by people who have symptoms, by coughing or sneezing. However, these people may not know they have whooping cough early in the illness, because it usually begins with mild, cold-like symptoms,” Dr. Blumberg said.
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This article was translated from the Portuguese edition of Medscape.com part of the Medscape professional network, using several editorial tools, including AI, in the process. The content was reviewed by the editorial staff before publication.
