Winning Health | Gold Coast Health Plan | Issue 3 | Summer 2014 | English - page 1

WHOOPING COUGH
Why you
need
this shot
V
accines can be
powerful protection
against some
diseases. Whooping cough is
one such disease.
What is whooping cough?
Also called pertussis, whooping
cough can cause severe coughing
ts and spreads very easily. e
sharp inhale after a coughing t
can cause a “whoop” sound.
It may start like a cold. But
instead of going away after a few
days, it gets worse. It may cause:
A long-lasting, wet cough.
Di culty breathing.
Vomiting.
Adults may not have clear
symptoms. So you can have it and
not know it. And you can pass it on.
at may be dangerous. Whooping
cough is especially risky for infants.
ose who get it often end up in
the hospital. Some babies even die
from it.
Adults can help protect them by
getting a pertussis shot.
A one-time dose.
ose 19
and older should get the pertussis
vaccine once. Tdap is a shot that
combines the vaccines for pertussis,
tetanus and diphtheria.
Adults need
a tetanus and diphtheria booster shot
(Td) every 10 years.
e Tdap shot
replaces one regular Td booster.
Get a Tdap shot right away—
even if you recently had a Td shot.
And if it’s time for your
next Td
shot, ask for the Tdap instead.
Pregnant? Get a Tdap shot toward
the end of each pregnancy. Encourage
those who will have contact with
your baby to get one too.
TAKE ACTION.
Contact your Primary
Care Physician if you
have questions about
immunizations and
which vaccines your
child should get.
Get to know
your health plan
Want to learn more about your
Medi-Cal benefits?
Gold Coast Health Plan holds
Member orientation meetings in
English and Spanish every month
throughout the county. Learn more
about your benefits and how to
identify valuable resources. Visit us
on the web at
www.GoldCoast
HealthPlan.org
or call Member
Ser vices at
1-888-301-1228
/
TTY
1-888-310-7347
for a
meeting near you.
Standard
U.S. Postage
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Long Beach, CA
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health
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Issue 3 • Summer 2014
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