Health

Whooping Cough Still Active in Schools

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A 6-year-old potentially exposed elementary school students and staff to pertussis at a Coronado preschool and kindergarten program, County Health and Human Services Agency officials reported today.

This latest case brings the region’s total of whooping cough cases to 27 for 2012.

The child was up-to-date on immunizations and attends Early Childhood Development Center in the Coronado Unified School District.

“The highly contagious respiratory illness can spread easily through the air in close quarters such as schools and other public settings and that’s why we recommend that parents not skip immunizations,” said Eric McDonald, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Public Health Officer. “The number of cases has been reduced significantly compared to the last two years, and that is due in large part to children, teenagers and adults getting immunized.”

No whooping cough deaths were reported in California in 2011, but in 2010 there were 10 deaths in the state, including two infant deaths in San Diego. A record 1,144 cases were reported in the county in 2010, and 436 were reported in 2011.

Parents can obtain the vaccine series and the Tdap booster shot for themselves and their children through their primary care physician. Local retail pharmacies offer vaccinations for a fee, and anyone who is not covered by a medical insurance plan can get the shot from a County Public Health Center at no cost.

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.

Yvette Urrea Moe is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact