With a five fold increase in reported Whooping Cough cases year over year, the California Department of Public Health is putting out the alerts and expanding the recommended vaccination schedule. “In particular, all family members and caregivers of infants should get the booster vaccine,” said CDPH Chief of the Center for Infectious Disease Dr. Gilberto Chávez, who also is the state’s epidemiologist.

CDHP is pushing expanded vaccinations for caregivers because the vaccination schedule leaves infants at risk during the first six months of life. CDHP said in a statement “Five infants, all under three months of age, have died from pertussis (whooping cough) this year. Unimmunized or incompletely immunized young infants are particularly vulnerable. The pertussis vaccination series can begin when an infant is 6 weeks of age. Infants, however, are not adequately protected by vaccination until the initial series of three shots is complete.”

Whooping cough is preventable, but, this year there are five times as many people with the disease, whooping cough is very contagious, and infants are unprotected until 6 months. To make matters worse, the caregivers of infants might think they are protected when they are not.

Whooping Cough is different from some of the other contagious diseases for which children are normally vaccinated because the immunization wears off. “We know that the vaccine, unlike other vaccines, does not provide lifetime immunity, in the same way, being sick with whooping cough does not provide lifetime immunity. We know that if you were vaccinated, as most children are, before entering kindergarten, by the time that child is done with middle school, the immunity from that vaccination has faded greatly,” Ken August, spokesperson for CDHP, told www.OC180NEWS.com. “If you are in high school, or if you are an adult, and you have not had a booster shot since your childhood vaccination, your immunity level would be low and so you would need a booster shot to protect yourself from Whooping Cough.”

A typical case of Whooping Cough in children and adults starts with a cough and runny nose for one-to-two weeks, followed by weeks to months of rapid coughing fits that sometimes ends with a whooping sound. Fever is rare.

“Considering that immunity from pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine or disease wears off and that most adults are susceptible to pertussis, now is the time for Californians to get immunized to protect themselves and their families,” said Chávez.

“A child needs a total of five shots; each is given at: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months, 4-6 years of age,” said Rebeca Doyte, a health educator with CDHP. The kids “are adequately protected after the third dose at 6 months, but they’re not fully protected until they get the last dose at four to six years.”

For new mothers and anyone with close contact with infants, CDPH is providing Tdap (the booster) vaccine at birthing hospitals, community health centers, Native American health centers and local health departments.

In addition, given the risks and the epidemic conditions existing in California, CDHP this week expanded the vaccination recommendations beyond the Food and Drug Administration national schedule. “Before, the vaccine – Tdap - is only licensed starting at age 10,” said Dr. Michele Cheung, Deputy Medical Director , Epidemiology, Orange County Health Care Agency. “So, with the new recommendations, even if they’re seven, they can still get it.” Tdap is not licensed by the FDA for people over 65, but the new state guidelines call for seniors to get the booster as well. “The state is recommending, given that we need to improve the immunity in these populations, that everyone should be getting vaccinated if they’re not up to date,” said Dr. Cheung.

According to the OC Health Care Agency, so far this year in Orange county, there have been 122 cases of whooping cough. While that might not sound like a lot, last year at this time, there had been only 10 cases. In fact the most cases reported in OC during the last six years had been 37 and that was in 2005 when the cases in the state hit a peak.

“We are facing what could be the worst year for pertussis that this state has seen in more than 50 years,” said CDPH’s Dr. Gilberto Chávez.

The OC Health Care Agency has the following on their web site:
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccine is widely available from medical providers (including community clinics) throughout Orange County. If your medical provider does not have the vaccine, your insurance does not cover the vaccine, or you do not have insurance, you may obtain vaccine free of charge from the Health Care Agency at the location below. If you have medical insurance, we request that you provide a note from your physician stating they do not have vaccine.
Health Care Agency Clinic
1725 W. 17th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92706
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8-11 a.m. or 1-3p.m.
If you or someone in your family has symptoms of
Pertussis (whooping cough), or if you need the Pertussis
vaccination (Tdap), contact your physician or medical
provider. If you do not have a medical provider, contact
the Health Care Agency Health Referral Line at
800-564-8448.