Hamilton County health officials urge everyone to get vaccination to prevent “100 day cough”

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – A report out of Atlanta says that whooping cough is on the comeback, but health officials in our area say the numbers here don’t indicate that.

Whooping Cough is just that, an illness that causes you to have violent coughing fits. It can be deadly for children and it is recommended that every woman gets the vaccine with every pregnancy.

Across the world, the illness is often referred to as the 100 day cough.

Connie Buecker, RN and Communicable Disease Control Program Manager, says, “If you can imagine a violent enough cough going on for 100 days and sometimes being so violent that you can fracture ribs that’s the danger for older adults and nobody wants that.”

The Hamilton County Health Department says they have seen three cases so far this year.

They are still urging adults and children to get the vaccination.