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Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Cases Reach 60-Year High

California has seen the most illnesses and deaths due to pertussis, also known as whooping cough, since 1947. In 2010, 8,383 cases of this highly contagious disease have were recorded in California. Infants are particularly susceptible because of their underdeveloped immune systems, accounting for 30 pertussis-related deaths state-wide.

In response to the epidemic levels of pertussis, health experts at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) have issued a new vaccination recommendation, broadening recommendations for immunizing against pertussis and reiterating the importance of getting vaccinated.

New California law also requires that all California students, seventh through 12th-grade, receive a pertussis booster shot before starting the 2011 school year. Teens, while less vulnerable to pertussis because of their more developed immune systems, can spread the disease to those too young to be immunized. By middle school, most kids need a booster shot to maintain their immunity.

FIND THE 2011-2011 STUDENT IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS HERE (Available in Spanish here)

Resource: www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/PH10-048.aspx

New Recommendations
In addition to the typical series of childhood pertussis immunizations, CDPH now recommends an adolescent-adult pertussis booster vaccine (Tdap) for:

  • Anyone 7 years and older who is not fully immunized, including those who are more than 64 years old
  • Women of childbearing age, before, during, or immediately after pregnancy
  • Other people who have contact with pregnant women or infants

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 is rare.

For more information on pertussis and vaccination, visit:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/Pertussis.aspx
http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/docs/pertussis.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pertussis/default.htm

Those who do not have a regular healthcare provider or insurance coverage for vaccines may dial 2-1-1 or visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ip for referrals to providers and community sites offering immunizations free or at reduced rates.