Whooping
Cough Vaccinations Protect Infants
Region’s Pertussis Case Total at 433 for 2011
For the first time in 20 years, no whooping
cough deaths were reported in the state,
according to the California Department of Public
Health. The good news is credited to statewide
vaccination efforts last year, but local health
officials also want to remind the public that
pertussis is still active in the county.
A
total of 433 whooping cough cases have been
reported for the region in 2011 with no new
cases reported as yet for 2012, County Health
and Human Services Agency officials said today.
A 9-year-old child, who was up-to-date with
immunizations, was diagnosed with whooping cough
and attended two school programs during the
infectious period: Carlton Oaks Elementary
School in the Santee School District and the
Literacy First Junior Academy in El Cajon.
“Pertussis
can be deadly to infants. Take every precaution
to ensure children and caregivers to infants are
properly immunized against contagious diseases
like whooping cough,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D.,
M.P.H., County Public Health Officer.
“Increased vaccination efforts across the
state contributed to saving the lives of infants
last year in California.”
During
the 2010 epidemic, 10 infants died in the state
including 2 from San Diego County. A record
1,144 cases were also reported in the region.
Parents
can obtain the vaccine series and the Tdap
booster shot for their children through their
primary care physicians. Students who are not
covered by a medical insurance plan can get the
shot from a local retail pharmacy for a fee, or
from a County Public Health Center.
A
typical case of pertussis starts with a cough
and runny nose for one to two weeks, followed by
weeks to months of rapid coughing fits that
sometimes end with a whooping sound. Fever, if
present, is usually mild. The disease is
treatable with antibiotics.
For more information about
whooping cough and ongoing vaccination clinics,
call the HHSA Immunization Branch at (866)
358-2966, or visit www.sdiz.org.
The 2011 year-end total for cases is not yet
complete because additional year-end cases are
still being reported.
Copy
of news release available here
New
Pertussis Booster Video:
English
Spanish
2010-2011 Pertussis Awareness Plan
The County of San Diego HHSA Immunization
Branch has been working to promote increased use
of pertussis vaccine (specifically Tdap) by
providing information and education to
healthcare providers, school staff and the
community. For more on the plan and
accomplishments, click here.
Get Your Preteens and Teens Immunized ASAP!
Parents should get their preteens and teens immunized (or get proof of
immunization) soon as possible. Despite the 30-day extension approved earlier this fall, it is still likely that there will be a
last-minute rush at providers’ offices to get the vaccine,
resulting in delays and difficulties in getting appointments.
Persons
should contact their regular source of health care first to
get this vaccine. Also, places such as certain pharmacies may
offer the vaccine. For those without health insurance, the County
of San Diego Public Health Centers (PHC) offer the Tdap
vaccine. For a downloadable County PHC immunization clinic
schedule, please click here.
The County Health and Human Services Agency and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommend that parents should get their adolescents immunized now to avoid any last-minute rush. For more information, see your health care provider and you can also visit the CDPH immunization website.
On the CDPH immunization website, there are many helpful links to information and resources. Here are a few of them:
To find locations where you can get pertussis (and influenza) vaccine,
please call 2-1-1.
Immunization is the best way to protect against pertussis. In addition to the typical series of childhood pertussis immunizations, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommends an adolescent-adult pertussis booster vaccine (Tdap) for everyone 10 years or older who has not yet received it, especially women of childbearing age, before, during, or immediately after pregnancy; and other people, including household contacts, caregivers, and health care workers, who have contact with pregnant women or infants.
Children 7-9 years of age who did not receive all of their routine childhood shots are recommended to receive a Tdap booster dose.
Although the vaccine is not 100% effective (no medicine is), immunized people can have milder symptoms than persons who aren’t immunized
It’s not just a disease of children - adults can get it, too. They can unknowingly pass it on to children, including those who cannot be fully immunized because of their age or medical condition. This can have very serious health consequences for the young child.
Infants younger than 12 months of age have more serious illness from pertussis and are more likely to have complications such as pneumonia or convulsions. They are at the greatest risk of dying from the disease and its complications.
Whooping cough gets its name from the "whoop" sound children and
adults sometimes make when they try to breathe in during or after a severe coughing spell. It usually starts with flu-like symptoms, such as runny nose, sneezing, fever and a mild cough. These symptoms may be mild and brief, or last up to two weeks, but are often followed by severe coughing fits and possibly vomiting.
Check with your doctor or local clinic about the pertussis immunization and other vaccines that protect against diseases like measles and chickenpox. A small investment of time and effort can help avoid the suffering of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Protect your children. Protect yourself. Protect your community. Immunize!
For more information, visit the websites below:
This page last updated on
8/12/11
