Pertussis is Whooping cough, a respiratory tract infection caused by bacteria. It is a serious disease that can cause pneumonia, brain damage and sometimes death.
Diphtheria and Tetanus are also diseases caused by bacteria which affect the respiratory tract and central nerovus system respectviely.
Whooping cough is spread when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes small droplets containing infectious agents into the air. The droplets in the air may be breathed in by those nearby.
Whooping cough initially causes cold and flu symptoms such as:
mild dry dough
The cough develops into longer uncontrollable bursts. Severe coughing may cause vomiting or fainting. Some people will have the distincitive ‘whoop’ sound when they cough. Babies may not cough at all, but will have bursts of turning blue or pauses in their breathing.
Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. After 5 days of taking the antibiotics, you are no longer contagious to others.
Other ways to help relieve your symptoms include:
The best protection against Whooping Cough is vaccination. Anyone of any age can catch whooping cough.
The Whooping Cough (Pertussis) vaccine is only available in Australia in combination with diphtheria and tetanus.
The vaccine is given as six doses in childhood, and as a one dose as a booster for adults. Your doctor can let you know how many doses are recommended for you.
There is no live virus in the Whooping cough vaccine, so you cannot get infected and they are safe for immunocompromised individuals.
Can I get the vaccination if I'm pregnant? Yes! Vaccinating pregnant women with dTpa vaccine can reduce the risk of pertussis in the mother and their young infants.
Side effects after vaccination are minor and temporary. Some may experience:
muscle aches
https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/pertussis-whooping-cough
https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/diphtheria
https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/tetanus
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/medicines/medicinal-product/aht,23931/diphtheria-+-tetanus-+-pertussis-3-component-vaccine
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/whooping-cough
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