Austinites in a medically underserved area will receive vaccinations to prevent whooping cough and tetanus, thanks to a grant from the Texas Medical Association’s (TMA’s) Be Wise – Immunize program. TMA recently awarded a grant to Dell Medical School to help provide the free vaccinations.
“A vaccination for adults can help prevent whooping cough, also known as pertussis, in the little ones around them who are most at risk for the disease,” says TMA Foundation President Leslie H. Secrest, MD. “Our grant funding will help these Austin residents avoid illnesses that can have serious, even deadly, consequences for them or their loved ones.”
Students at Dell Medical School will provide the vaccinations for adults on Saturdays throughout April and early May at the Gus Garcia Recreation Center, 1201 E. Rundberg Ln. Events will be April 13, 20, 27 and May 4.
Whooping cough is especially dangerous for infants younger than 1 year of age. It is highly contagious, and the Texas Department of State Health Services says more than half of babies less than a year old with pertussis must be hospitalized.
