Tag Archives: Whooping Cough

Whooping Cough Outbreak In California

The CDC is confirming that California is in the midst of a whooping cough outbreak.

Doctors say that the outbreak is the worst in 70 years and there is over 1,000 more cases than the last major outbreak in 2010.  Over 9,900 cases have been reported and confirmed as of November 26th.

The disease, known as pertussis, is caused by bacteria and is known to run on a 3 to 5 year peak cycle.

“The last time a series of outbreaks occurred across the country, California started the parade,” said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told ABC News. “And so this is a harbinger we are fearful of.”

The CDC says that 50 percent of children under a year old who catch the disease need to be hospitalized and up to 2 percent die.

The CDC is requesting that all pregnant women be injected with the whooping couch vaccine with the hope that the injection will pass the protection from mother to child.

Whooping Cough Epidemic In Washington State

Washington state health officials have declared an epidemic and are fearful of higher spikes in occurrences of whooping cough.
Washington has already had 10 times the cases reported in 2011 as has Wisconsin who has yet to declare an epidemic.
The state is providing free vaccinations against the disease and Governor Chris Gregoire announced $90,000 for a public awareness campaign about the disease.  State health Secretary, Mary Selecky, said it’s the first declaration of an epidemic she’s made in 13 years on the job. Continue reading →