Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the U.S. Center for Disease Control announced yesterday that nationwide, nearly 18,000 cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, have been reported to CDC.
“That’s more than twice as many as we had at the same time last year. In fact, it’s more than we had in each of the past five years,” Schuchat said in a press conference. “We may be on track for record high pertussis rates this year. We may need to go back to 1959 to find a year with as many cases reported by this time so far. So, there is a lot of pertussis out there and I think there may be more coming to a place near you. “
Pertussis is most dangerous for babies and very young children. So far this year, nine babies have died from whooping cough according to the reports sent to the CDC. About half of these cases are babies under three months of age. In general, more than half of babies younger than 1 year of age who get the disease need to be cared for in the hospital.
In Brevard County, there has been only one case of whooping cough reported so far for 2012 versus three cases reported this same time last year. Bruce Pierce, Director of Community Health for the Brevard County Health Department, credits a high vaccination rate of around 95% for the low incidents of whooping cough in Brevard County.
“Access to medical care and the pro-vaccination policies of the private medical community in Brevard County are the reasons for the high rate of vaccinations,” Pierce said.
The whooping cough vaccination is one of several of the Florida State required vaccinations for children before entering school.
Whooping cough is a serious and very contagious respiratory disease that can cause long, violent coughing fits and the characteristic “whooping” sound that follows when a person gasps for air.
The CDC recommends that infants and children get the childhood vaccine that includes protection against whooping cough, diphtheria, and tetanus (DTaP) at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 15 through 18 months of age. A booster of DTaP is given at 4 through 6 years of age.
Because protection from DTaP fades over time, CDC recommends another dose of whooping cough vaccine, known as Tdap, for adolescents (ideally at 11-12 years) and adults. Adults who did not receive Tdap as pre-teens should get a dose now. By protecting themselves, older children and adults can form a cocoon of protection around the babies in their lives that may be too young to be fully protected by DTaP.
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Here is what they are not telling you. There are 5 strains of Bordatella Pertusis. In adultsBP starts out like any cold only the chest symptoms get worse. The BP bacterium releases a paralyzing chemical that paralyzes the tiny cilia fibres that line the breathing tubes that clean dirt and phlegm out of the lungs. In time this material builds up causing weezing and the characteristic cough as the person tries to clear the stuff out. In addition, the BP bacteria also irritates the breathing tubes causing them to redden, swell, and become sensistive.A person with this can be immobilized by simple smoke or even hairspray. These symptoms can last up to 100 days. But, all of this is easily prevented by getting the TDaP vaccine at your local health department. BP or whooping cough is incurable. Most physicians prescribe a bronchial inhailer. Getting BP wont make you immune, only the vaccine will. Nice thing the vaccine is good for 7 to 10 years. Al Schrader
Here is what they are not telling you. There are 5 strains of Bordatella Pertusis. In adultsBP starts out like any cold only the chest symptoms get worse. The BP bacterium releases a paralyzing chemical that paralyzes the tiny cilia fibres that line the breathing tubes that clean dirt and phlegm out of the lungs. In time this material builds up causing weezing and the characteristic cough as the person tries to clear the stuff out. In addition, the BP bacteria also irritates the breathing tubes causing them to redden, swell, and become sensistive.A person with this can be immobilized by simple smoke or even hairspray. These symptoms can last up to 100 days. But, all of this is easily prevented by getting the TDaP vaccine at your local health department. BP or whooping cough is incurable. Most physicians prescribe a bronchial inhailer. Getting BP wont make you immune, only the vaccine will. Nice thing the vaccine is good for 7 to 10 years. Al Schrader