TITLE: Encouraging greater public awareness of the risks of pertussis and of the importance of adolescents and adults receiving the Tdap vaccine.

SUMMARY: Encouraging greater public awareness of the risks of pertussis and of the importance of adolescents and adults receiving the Tdap vaccine.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is committed to supporting measures that safeguard the health of our state's residents, and in that spirit, the members of this chamber are promoting greater awareness of the Tdap vaccine; and WHEREAS, Licensed in 2005, Tdap is the only combination vaccine designed to protect adolescents and adults, specifically, against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough; and WHEREAS, While cases of tetanus and diphtheria are rare today in the United States, the incidence of pertussis has been increasing since 1976, when vaccination for the disease brought the number of cases down to just over a thousand; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 Texas had 3,358 reported cases, the highest number in the country; nationwide, 2010 was expected to see the most cases in nearly half a century; and WHEREAS, Because the immunity conferred by vaccination for pertussis fades over time, it is important that adults receive the Tdap booster and continue to be revaccinated at 10-year intervals, unless their personal medical histories indicate otherwise; physicians attribute the increase in pertussis, in large measure, to the fact that many adults and adolescents have not received the Tdap vaccine; and WHEREAS, Pertussis typically lasts for about six weeks and, in addition to violent coughing, can lead to pneumonia and swelling of the brain; before the advent of widespread immunization in the U.S., pertussis caused nearly 8,000 fatalities a year and was a significant cause of childhood death; it remains a serious threat to infants, for they have not yet completed the full cycle of childhood vaccinations; and WHEREAS, Many infants who develop pertussis are infected by adults and adolescents who are carrying the disease but do not know it because their symptoms are typically less acute; pertussis is highly contagious, and those who have contracted the illness remain infectious for about 21 days; and WHEREAS, Although pertussis is generally less severe in adults, they are frequently forced to miss work for repeated doctor visits and may also develop complications and require hospitalization; and WHEREAS, Pertussis is a dangerous illness, but it is preventable if children are inoculated and if adolescents and adults keep current with Tdap booster immunizations; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby encourage greater public awareness of the risks associated with pertussis and of the importance of adolescents and adults receiving Tdap vaccinations on a regular schedule.