Routine Use of Pertussis Vaccine in Adults
Pertussis has long been thought of as a disease effectively prevented by the childhood vaccine series. However, it is now recognized that there is gradual loss of immunity beginning about 5 to 10 years after vaccination and, over the past 20 years, there has been a steady increase in reported cases in adolescents and adults. Because of concerns that infected health care workers might transmit pertussis to unprotected vulnerable infants, ACOEM approved a position statement in 2006 that encouraged pertussis vaccination of health care workers with direct patient contact.
With concern that there has been too little attention given to routine pertussis vaccination in adults, ACOEM supports the importance of Tetanus Diphtheria Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) vaccination as part of any preventive medicine efforts. Protocols should be consistent with current recommendations by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
The full text of the current CDC/ACIP recommendations is available at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5704a1.htm.
This statement was approved by the ACOEM Board of Directors on July 27, 2008.
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