State and federal health authorities urged doctors and patients on Friday to make greater use of a booster vaccine for pertussis because of a high rate of the coughing disease in Minnesota and other parts of the country.

Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is rarely fatal but can be quite serious, especially in infants.

In Minnesota, more than 1,000 cases a year have been reported since 2008.

The disease tends to peak in the population every three to four years, but lately, "what we’ve seen is that those peaks are like an escalating roller coaster," said Kristen Ehresmann, who heads the vaccine program at the state Department of Health. Peaks are higher and last longer, and the valleys between them are not as low, she said.

"Our [per capita] rates are about as high as you’d see in California," where pertussis killed 10 infants last year, she said.

Minnesota has had no deaths from the disease in the past three years, Ehresmann said, and in general, patients are hospitalized in about 2 percent of reported cases.

The first symptoms of pertussis resemble those of a cold: sneezing, a runny nose and a cough. after one or two weeks, the cough worsens, coming in uncontrollable bursts, often accompanied by a high-pitched whooping sound.

A booster vaccine has been recommended for children entering 7th grade and adults who need a tetanus booster, but health authorities suspect that it’s not as widely used as it should be.

The booster, called Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular-pertussis), was introduced in 2005 after health officials learned that the effectiveness of a primary vaccine series, usually given to children under 7, wears off as kids reach their teens.

New recommendations issued Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that:

• Adults and teens may get the Tdap vaccine regardless of when they last got a tetanus-diphtheria shot.

• Tdap may be given to children ages 7-10 who have not received or completed a primary series of vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

• Seniors who work with young children should get Tdap.

Health authorities said patients should ask for the shot, if needed, at their next clinic visit.

For more information about pertussis, go to health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/pertussis.

Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016