Protect Your Children and the Community, get a Tdap shot today!

Over the past few years, whooping cough has been on the rise in our community. Just last year the epidemic in California resulted in the worst numbers of this disease that the state has seen in 50 years. Whooping cough took the lives of several infants who were too young to be immunized.

We can work together as a community by encouraging every family and childcare worker to receive a Tdap booster shot. This way, we can protect our most vulnerable little ones from becoming infected.

Until a child reaches 6 months, they are at extreme risk for contracting this disease. Whooping cough may begin like a common cold but it can progress quickly into something much more serious. It can spread simply by close contact, therefore even if you don't have a young one at home, think about the rest of the individuals you come in contact with daily.

The name 'whooping cough' comes from the high-pitched noise that infants and children make when they gasp for air after a fit of coughing. One out of every 100 people infected with this disease dies. Please remember this frightening statistic in contrast to the mild and uncommon side effects of immunization. These include redness, swelling, or soreness at the site of the shot. July, August, and September tend to be peak months for whooping cough, so act fast and get your shot today!

New immunizations guidelines go into effect in California beginning this July 1st. All 7th through12th grade students are now required to get a whooping cough shot before starting the 2011-2012 school year.

• Visit www.shotsforschool.org for further information.
• If you would like to receive this information in a different language visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccines
• If you do not have health insurance, you may be eligible for free immunizations. Please follow this link for locations on the Westside: Tdap Resources