Dr. Siobhan Dolan Discusses National Rise in Whooping Cough [AUDIO]

On Tuesday's edition of Lubbock's First News, Dr. Siobhan Dolan, consulting physician for the March of Dimes, talked with Tom Collins and Laura Mac about the rise in whooping cough in the U.S.

Recently, there have been stark increases in cases of pertussis, better known as whooping cough, in certain regions of the country. Dr. Dolan explained that pertussis is an airborne respiratory disease that is highly infectious, and the disease can spread very quickly among campuses, college dorms and other areas where large numbers of people can be infected.

According to Dr. Dolan, the increase in pertussis cases is due in part to people not having the necessary immunizations to fight against it. She explained that, in addition to pertussis vaccinations for children, adolescents over the age of 11 also need at least one booster vaccine, known as the TDAP vaccine. Dr. Dolan also said that there is a lot of bad information concerning the effectiveness and safety of preventative vaccines, but she assures that thse vaccines are completely safe and they do work.

Listen to the full interview with Dr. Siobhan Dolan here:

Have an iPad, iPhone, or Android device? Click the link below to download the interview to listen on your mobile device.

Dr. Siobhan Dolan Interview 08/27/13

Be sure and tune in to Lubbock's First News with Tom Collins and Laura Mac weekdays from 6 AM to 8:30 AM on NewsTalk 790 KFYO and online at KFYO.com.