BLUE SPRINGS, Mo., Oct 20, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Fewer than 20 percent of U.S. parents are concerned about whooping cough, a serious illness that arrives with cold and flu season, a report said Wednesday.

A national survey by the Society for Adolescent Medicine of Blue Springs, Mo., found only 18 percent of parents reported being concerned with the prospect of their child contracting pertussis, the proper name for whooping cough. More than 25 percent were aware of the illness but could not name one symptom.

Childhood immunization against pertussis wears off five to 10 years after the last routine vaccination shot, and the society says a significant number of teenagers are now vulnerable to infection. There have been numerous outbreaks over the last year in many states, including New York, Illinois and Wisconsin, where most of the patients were adolescents.

Pertussis sufferers can experience more than two months of severe, uncontrollable coughing episodes as often as 15 times within 24 hours. These fits can lead to vomiting, a hernia, or even a broken rib.

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