Pertussis: Don’t leave patients exposed

Why you should vaccinate adults against pertussis—especially those with asthma.1-4

Know the Impact

Pertussis is highly contagious1

  • Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause serious complications, not just for children1
  • Transmission most commonly occurs person-to-person through contact with respiratory droplets, or by contact with airborne droplets of respiratory secretions5
  • One infected person can transmit pertussis to as many as 17 other people1
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Pertussis is largely underrecognized and underreported in adults2

Incidence of pertussis in people aged 50+ is 42-105 times higher than medically reported cases.2

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Pertussis spreads quickly and at a high rate1,6

  • Pertussis is one of the most poorly controlled vaccine-preventable diseases6
  • Pertussis has a substantially higher transmission rate than that of other highly infectious vaccine-preventable diseases1
Infected person
Transmitted to
20 15 10 5 0
  • Pertussis
  • Rubella
  • Diphtheria
  • Polio
  • Mumps

Know the risks

Pertussis can increase complications in adults with asthma3,4

  • Pertussis infection is more likely in patients with chronic respiratory conditions, like asthma3,4
  • Adults with asthma have a 4x greater risk of pertussis compared with people without asthma3,4

Pertussis hospitalization risk is the highest for adults with respiratory conditions3

  • Hospitalization for pertussis is more likely in adults with respiratory conditions like asthma3
  • In adults, pertussis-related hospitalizations were most frequently diagnosed as a result of asthma exacerbations3
  • More than 87% (102/117) of adults >21 years of age hospitalized for pertussis have at least 1 underlying medical condition7

Know the Effects

In adults, pertussis infection may lead to a spectrum of complications, especially in those with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma8,9

  • Prolonged cough illness
  • Weight loss
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Vomiting
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Rib fracture
  • Pneumonia

Pertussis can cause severe disease and be devastating8,9

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Pertussis can have an economic impact on adults—especially those with asthma1,4

Adults may suffer severe and long-term outcomes from pertussis, as well as financial burden1,4

  • A study showed that adults lost a mean of 7 workdays due to pertussis9
  • Total societal costs related to pertussis in adults have been estimated at up to $1,950 per case1

Help prevent pertussis

Tdapa vaccination is critical and can have a significant impact in adults10

Tdap vaccination can help protect adults from the burden of pertussis, especially those living with asthma10

Pertussis and Chronic Respiratory Conditions: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/health-conditions/lung-disease.html

Tdap vaccination rates in adults remain lower than in other age groups, leaving adults at risk11,12

  • Many adults remain unvaccinated11,12
  • There is suboptimal Tdap vaccination coverage in adults compared with Tdap vaccination coverage in adolescents11,12

Recommended Schedule: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pertussis/recs-summary.html

100806040200
31.2%
90.2%

Adult
coverage rate

Adolescent
coverage rate

Help protect adults from pertussis—especially those with asthma—with Tdap vaccination.10

HELP MAKE AN IMPACT WITH A Tdap VACCINE