Keep Your Lungs Healthy!

Beat Whooping Cough and Pneumonia

I’m sure most of you have heard of pertussis or whooping cough as it is extremely dangerous in young children. Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and is characterized by three symptomatic stages; Catarrhal, Paroxsmal, and Covalescent. An infected individual will start experiencing mild symptoms similar to a common cold. However, these symptoms will progress to spasms of violent coughing that can lead to convulsions and vomiting. These coughing fits are very dangerous in babies and cause them to struggle for air, resulting in the “whooping” sound.

Thankfully, there are two very effective vaccines to protect yourself and your loved ones against this nasty respiratory infection at any age. The CDC informs us that there are two vaccines against pertussis, DTaP and Tdap. The DTaP is administered to children younger than seven year old and Tdap is given to individuals in the “pre-teen” category and older. You may ask yourself, ” Well ,what is the difference between these two vaccines anyway?”. The answer is: they both protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis by using a toxoid, or inactivated toxin that is released by the three diseases. But, DTaP is the initial vaccine and Tdap is a booster. Immunity fades over time so it is important to continue to get the Tdap booster every ten years after the initial dose. This will insure that your immunity stays at a healthy level.

Now onto another nasty respiratory infection: pneumococcal pneumonia. There are two vaccines to protect against pneumococcal pneumonia as outlined by the CDC. There is a conjugate vaccine and a polysaccharide vaccine. The conjugate vaccine works by joining a weak and strong antigen so the immune system has a stronger response against the invading bacteria. The polysaccharide vaccine works by imitating the exterior appearance of the invading bacteria so if they body comes into contact with the real bacteria, it will know how to respond effectively. I find it very comforting to know that only one dose of the conjugate vaccine protects 80% of babies from severe invasive pneumococcal pneumonia and 96% of vaccinated children were protected against pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine stereotypes. Looks like healthy lungs can be easily achieved with just a few vaccines!