Thank you to Lisa Cook (“Unvaccinated people put people at risk,” Open Forum, Aug. 24) for raising awareness about the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases to those who cannot be vaccinated. Pertussis (whooping cough) is a serious issue in our community and we wanted to clarify that vaccination for Pertussis (DTaP) is, in fact, available before a child's first birthday. The primary vaccine series for DTaP is given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age with a booster at 15 months and 4-6 years. Two vaccines that are not given until on or after the first birthday are the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and varicella (chicken pox) vaccines.
Pertussis can be serious and deadly for infants younger than 6 months of age because they have not had a chance to complete the primary series and build adequate immunity. To keep our most vulnerable safe, we must create a cocoon around them by making sure children, adolescents, and adults who spend time with them are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
If you have questions about vaccinations, consider attending the Parent Immunization Forum on Oct. 25 in Boulder. Register at ParentImmunizationForum.org.
Sophia L. Yager
Immunization Coordinator, Boulder County Public Health