Jul 22, 2010
Source: Alabama Department of Public Health
MONTGOMERY, AL – Pertussis, a highly contagious and sometimes fatal bacterial disease, has increased alarmingly in the past decade according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Pertussis is commonly referred to as whooping cough.
To help provide protection, all students 11 and older entering the sixth grade in Alabama schools this school year are now required to have a tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.
Each pupil 11 or older who enters the sixth grade will be required to have a new certificate of immunization. This is because of the change from tetanus-diphtheria (Td) to (Tdap) vaccine.
