As summer comes to a close, many parents are preparing their children to return to school. Any back to school plan will probably include a trip to the doctor or the neighborhood pharmacist to receive vaccinations. While children are commonly vaccinated to protect against chicken pox, measles and polio , one health threat often overlooked is pertussis. The spread of pertussis, also known as the "whooping cough", declined after widespread use of the vaccine began during the 1940s. However, since 1990 the illness, characterized by severe coughing, has been on the rise, particularly among older adolescents and adults who may have developed immunity to early vaccinations. Many adults do not realize that they are carriers of the disease. The illness spreads quickly when a sick patient sneezes, coughs or even talks and can have serious consequences for infants and toddlers who are exposed. Until recently, there was no pertussis containing vaccine approved in the United States for adolescents and adults.
In an effort to educate pharmacists about the danger posed by pertussis, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has recently published a new vaccine bulletin on Adacel® (Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Absorbed). Adacel is a booster immunization indicated for persons 11-64 years of age and can be administered in a one-time single dose. The bulletin, developed by APhA's Access Education Department through a grant from VaxServe Inc., provides information for pharmacists to respond to questions from their patients. The bulletin is now available for download at pharmacist/drugs_indepth.cfm.
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 60,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States.
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