Pertussis aka Whooping Cough Awareness

Educate yourself and spread the word, please take advantage of the protection the Tdap booster vaccine offers, remember immunity wanes anywhere from 5-10 years so you could be unprotected.

For quick reference heres the info on the recommendations for older kids and then below that is the recommendations for adults.

[quote] To stem the rising incidence of pertussis, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending that kids 11-18 years old get a booster shot of the vaccine, ideally when they're 11 or 12 years old.[/quote]

[quote]To reduce the spread of pertussis from unprotected adults to infants, in November the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that adults ages 19 to 64 get a newly-formulated booster shot of tetanus, reduced diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap vaccine) to replace the previously recommended 10-year tetanus-diphtheria (Td vaccine) booster. Getting the booster shot is especially stressed for adults who will have close contact with an infant who is less than 1 year old, ideally at least 1 month before the contact. [/quote]

You can visit http://www.whoopingcough.net http://www.pertussis.com and http://www.nfid.org/whoop/ as well.

Please read this link they are now recommending adults get the vaccine, Imporant release from the Cdc.

The statistics tell a story that is horrifying especially if you are one of those that finds your self with Pertussis please educate yourself on this serious illness and do all you can to prevent its spread, awarenesss is the first step, I know first hand how serious it can be very sadly through the loss of my precious daughter Sebanna Sarine you dont have to learn about it the way I did and I urge you to do all you can to make sure you dont.

Even when you get it as an adult it is scary I know because I also caught it and experienced for myself this horrible vaccine preventable illness it would get to the point where I could not draw a breath, one morning it became so bad my husband was wakened by my loud attempt to take in air the classic desperate whooping which lasted for almost a full minute without me being able to breath it was absolutely terrifying, and I agonized over the fact my daughter had went through that.

I had the signature whoop but many people dont so it can be spread without the person even knowing they have it, in babies younger than 6 months the whooping sound is usually absent but the baby can turn blue and struggle to breathe. For more detailed information please follow the links below to visit whooping cough sites listed below, and the many more links with stories etc listed on the "Contact us and imporant links page".

If you believe you or anyone you know has it push to be tested, it is a simple test, that could save lives the below information is quotes from whoopingcough.net

"MOST CASES GO UNDIAGNOSED BECAUSE THE PHYSICIAN NEVER HEARS THE PATIENT COUGH AND CANNOT BELIEVE IT IS AS SEVERE AS HE/SHE IS BEING TOLD. AND LISTENING WITH A STETHOSCOPE INDICATES NORMAL LUNGS IN WHOOPING COUGH!"

"Whooping cough is estimated to be 100 times more common than official statistics show!"

"Most doctors fail to diagnose whooping cough!"

This information is not intended as medical advice if you think you may have pertussis or have been exposed to it or any other illness please speak with your Dr as soon as possible, also I provide the links to the following sites listed below as a courtesy in hopes of fighting this illness with awareness and dont imply endorsement

Get Pertussis awareness items here

Go to our group dedicated to Pertussis awareness

Many more links about Pertussis including links about the new reccomendations for adolescents and adults to get the booster new ones added often

We had glossy, full colored Pertussis awareness brochures made, and also awareness magnets if you would like some to spread awareness in your area please send me an email.

I asked my husband to help me create an awareness ribbon for pertussis aka whooping cough and this is what he came up with, the purple stands for power and green stands for healing, which is what we hope the ribbons will do bring people power by educating them, and healing by preventing and aknowledging.

Please copy this ribbon and add it to your site and or send it on to others. It is made in loving memory of our daughter and a sincere hope lies with it that we may spread awareness about this horrible illness. There are links with information about whooping cough closer to the bottom of the page, and on the "contact us and imporant links page". There is also more imporant information below please take the time to read it.

I also created the graphic at the top of the page along with a few others, please feel free to take it and if you would like we would appreciate it if you would please link back to our page. If you are having any event and desire some of the Pertussis ribbons to pass out please contact me at least a week or two in advance, I can also help with any printed materials etc.

Please visit our new Pertussis Group by clicking here

Please read this link they are now recommending adults get the vaccine, Imporant release from the Cdc.

The statistics tell a story that is horrifying especially if you are one of those that finds your self with Pertussis please educate yourself on this serious illness and do all you can to prevent its spread, awarenesss is the first step, I know first hand how serious it can be very sadly through the loss of my precious daughter Sebanna Sarine you dont have to learn about it the way I did and I urge you to do all you can to make sure you dont.

Even when you get it as an adult it is scary I know because I also caught it and experienced for myself this horrible vaccine preventable illness it would get to the point where I could not draw a breath, one morning it became so bad my husband was wakened by my loud attempt to take in air the classic desperate whooping which lasted for almost a full minute without me being able to breath it was absolutely terrifying, and I agonized over the fact my daughter had went through that.

I had the signature whoop but many people dont so it can be spread without the person even knowing they have it, in babies younger than 6 months the whooping sound is usually absent but the baby can turn blue and struggle to breathe. For more detailed information please follow the links below to visit whooping cough sites listed below, and the many more links with stories etc listed on the "Contact us and imporant links page".

If you believe you or anyone you know has it push to be tested, it is a simple test, that could save lives the below information is quotes from whoopingcough.net

"MOST CASES GO UNDIAGNOSED BECAUSE THE PHYSICIAN NEVER HEARS THE PATIENT COUGH AND CANNOT BELIEVE IT IS AS SEVERE AS HE/SHE IS BEING TOLD. AND LISTENING WITH A STETHOSCOPE INDICATES NORMAL LUNGS IN WHOOPING COUGH!"

"Whooping cough is estimated to be 100 times more common than official statistics show!"

"Most doctors fail to diagnose whooping cough!"

This information is not intended as medical advice if you think you may have pertussis or have been exposed to it or any other illness please speak with your Dr as soon as possible, also I provide the links to the following sites listed below as a courtesy in hopes of fighting this illness with awareness and dont imply endorsement..