Last Wednesday, I spoke with Jennifer Lopez and Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., medical director of the March of Dimes, about the “Sounds of Pertussis” national education campaign. They are the primary spokespeople for this joint initiative of the March of Dimes and sanofi pasteur. The goal is to raise awareness about the threat that pertussis (also known as whooping cough) can pose to infants. They recommend that all new parents should get an adult pertussis vaccine.
Photo courtesy of StartraksPhoto.com
A few things that stood out to me on the call:
1. Jennifer Lopez practices what she preaches. I’m always curious as to why celebrities serve as spokespeople for various campaigns. Ms. Lopez mentioned that initially when she was a new mom (to her twins Max and Emme) she didn’t know about this. When she was approached about getting the message out, she thought, “Why wouldn’t I let people know that this exists and is easily prevented?” She and her sister wanted to do something with healthcare and education with a foundation that they’ve formed, so this fell right in line. (On a side note, both she and Marc – along with practically everyone else that they allowed their twins to be around in their early months – received the campaign’s recommended Tdap vaccination.)
2. Many of us have not received this information about the threat of pertussis from our doctors or our kids’ pediatricians because this is new information that is coming out. Since there has been a dramatic increase in cases of pertussis, bring up the topic and ask your doctor where to get the vaccine.
3. Since immunity wanes over time, all adolescents and adults (ages 11-64) should get the Tdap booster shot. It is especially important that those who will be around/caring for/in close contact with infants get a pertussis vaccine either before the pregnancy or immediately after the child is born.
To learn more about this “Sounds of Pertussis” campaign, please visit SoundsofPertussis.com. (Below is a short video about the campaign.)
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