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Amanda Butterfield Reporting There's a new vaccine out for one of the most contagious illness of the season -- pertussis, or the whooping cough.
In the past four years cases of whooping cough have gone up 400 percent in Salt Lake County, according to Salt Lake Valley Health Department. The group getting it the most is teenagers.
Zoe Wolcott, Has Whooping Cough: "I've had it for two months now and it doesn't really go away."
Zoe Wolcott picked up pertussis at school. Already this year, about ten students at Rolland Hall have come down with it.
Head Master Alan Sparrow, Rowland Hall: "Just like every school, we got our share."
There's a lot of hand washing hands going on there because middle grade kids are at high risk of getting it. That's because they get their immunizations when they're young, including one for pertussis, but the vaccines don't last forever.
Dagmar Vitek, M.D., Salt Lake Valley Health Dept.: "When they're teenagers, all of sudden they're not protected anymore against pertussis, and schools get it and spread it."
Now Zoe's entire family has it.
Zoe Wolcott: "My dad, he got it really bad."
Jim Wolcott: "On a one to ten, I had it on the top side."
Jim Wolcott doesn't have intense coughing fits anymore, though.
Jim Wolcott: "I had coughing spasm every two and half hours that were so violent I would aspirate, I couldn't breathe."
You can tell in his voice how bad it was.
Jim Wolcott: "The dynamics of the cough have injured my voice box."
Now, Jim tells all his friends to get vaccinated.
Dagmar Vitek, M.D.: "We strongly recommend everyone get vaccinated, because now we can fight the disease."
There are two vaccines available, one for kids Zoe's age called Bootrix, and another called Adacell, for those 11 to 64-years old. If you have young kids at home, you should seriously consider getting vaccinated.
Dagmar Vitek, M.D.: "It can be a very severe illness for kids under one."
And just ask Zoe or her Dad, it can be pretty tough at any age.
Jim Wolcott: "It's horrible, it's really icky."
Ask your doctor about getting vaccinated.
