MUSC pharmacy offering free whooping cough vaccines

The MUSC Rutledge Tower Outpatient Pharmacy is offering free whooping cough vaccines until April 15, 2016, regardless of insurance coverage.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is highly contagious and can be very dangerous for babies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the whooping cough vaccine, known as Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis), for anyone who’s never had one before, anybody who comes into contact with kids under the age of 1 and women who are pregnant. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System reports that Tdap is safe for the general population. The most common reaction reported is pain at the injection site.

In 2014, the CDC reported almost 33,000 cases of pertussis across the United States. About half of all babies under the age of 1 who get whooping cough end up in the hospital, and a few die from the infection.

In babies, whooping cough starts with symptoms that look like the common cold, including a cough, runny nose and slight fever. Instead of improving, the symptoms get worse, lasting up to 10 weeks. The baby can end up with rapid coughing characterized by a “whooping” sound along with vomiting and exhaustion from the coughing fits. Adults with whooping cough rarely get the “whooping” sound but can have coughing spasms for weeks.

The MUSC Rutledge Tower Outpatient Pharmacy is on the first floor of Rutledge Tower and is open 8:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday and 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, call 843-876-0199. The free vaccines are available throughApril 15 regardless of insurance coverage.

About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.7 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute designated center) Level I Trauma Center and Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit www.muschealth.com.