Stance Against Pertussis Following Son’s Birth (NAPSA)—Ingrid Vandebosch, wife of NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, is modeling perfect new mother behavior by getting her caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which can spread through airborne droplets expelled from the nose and throat through a cough, lar pertussis) booster vaccine to help protect herself against pertussis (whooping cough) and reduce her risk of transmitting the disease to her newborn son. Vandebosch and Gordon, who got his Tdap booster in June, are leading the fight against pertussis as spokespeople for the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign,a joint initiative from Sanofi Pasteur and March of Dimes. Vandebosch received her vaccine after recently giving birth to the couple’s second child, Leo Benjamin, on August 9. “T didn’t know about pertussis when I had myfirst child and, as a parent, I would never want to put my baby at risk. Now that I know I can help to decrease the risk of spreading pertussis to Leo by getting an adult pertussis booster vaccine, I got vaccinated. And I encourage other new parents to speak with their health-care providers about getting an adult Tdap vaccine,” said Vandebosch. Vandebosch and her husband are spokespersons for the national Sounds of Pertussis Campaign and decided to become involved with the campaign after learning how vulnerable babies are to getting the highly contagious disease from their own parents. Researchers to another. In adults, symptomsare Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellu- sneeze or even by talking very close usually mild, and pertussis is often mistaken for the common cold or even bronchitis. However, in some infants and some adults, the disease causes severe coughing char- New mom Ingrid Vandebosch, wife of NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon (not pictured) and spokesperson for the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign, receives her Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) booster to help protect herself against per- tussis, also known as whooping cough and reduce the risk of spreading the disease to her newborn son, Leo Benjamin. Vandebosch, a model, and her husband are raising awareness of pertussis and the importance of adult vaccination through this national education campaign. Photocredit: Gary He. have found that when a source of a baby’s pertussis could be identified, family members were the source for up to 80 percent of pertussis cases in infants and, more specifically, parents were the source 50 percent of the time. Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious condition that is acterized by the unforgettable “whoop” sound made whena person is gasping for breath after a coughing fit. The disease is on the rise across the country. Getting vaccinated against infectious diseases such as pertussis, which easily can be spread to babies, is just one postpartum precaution suggested by health-care experts. Parents should also ensure that children are up-to-date on all of their vaccinations to help protect them against childhood diseases. In addition, mothers should schedule a visit with their own health-care provider to check that they are healing properly after labor and delivery. They should also eat a balanced diet, rich in calcium and iron, especially if they are breastfeeding. RememberTo Get Vaccinated Adults can text the word “SOUNDS?”to 292929 and get a text message in five days reminding them to get vaccinated against pertussis. Standard messaging charges may apply. wenn enn eee eee WEE nee Note to Editors: References 1. Kretsinger K, Broder KR, Cortese MM et al. Preventing tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis among adults: use of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and recommendation of ACIP, supported by the Health-care Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), for use of Tdap among health-care personnel. MMWR Recomm Rep 2006;55(RR-17):1-37. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5517al.htm. Accessed June 7, 2010. 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pertussis. In: Atkinson W, Hamborsky J, McIntyre L, Wolfe S, editors. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases. 10 ed. Washington, DC: Public Health Foundation; 2007. p.81-100. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/pert.pdf. Accessed June 7, 2010. 3. Hennessy-Fiske, M. California declares whooping cough epidemic. Los Angeles Times. Available at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-whooping-cough-20100720,0,5232560.story. Accessed July 20. 4. Hennessy-Fiske, M. California declares whooping cough epidemic. Los Angeles Times. Available at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/infant-dies-of-whooping-cough-third-confirmed-death-this-year-in-lacounty-sixth-in-state.html. Accessed July 21.
