Pertusis

Not this year. We did have an outbreak in my hometown when I was a nursing student. It seemed to be one of the unforseen consequences of the whole autism hoopla. People weren't vaccinating as much because of fears the vaccines could cause autism and the pertussis vaccine is one of the less effective ones anyways, so once one kid gets it, it can spread fast.

Haven't had anything like that here.

No new information but here is a site with some info from last year. PA did have some high numbers.

http://www.pertussis.com/digest/index.html

Hope this provides some insight.

Much Peace

Billy

Go Go Google...............

We recently got a memo reporting 5 cases of it in the next county over.

Wow. I had no idea it was even around!! SC had 208 cases last year! Where have *I* been? I got a dT last year w/ my flu and pneumonia shots, and they (private HH agency) said I didn't have to worry because "no one gets whooping cough any more."

Yep, when we did Pediatrics my class was told not to worry about pertussis for the same reason - "you'll never see it." Of course, I saw three cases in my peds rotation (a baby too young for immunisation, a toddler part way throughm, and a six year old who wasn't vaccinated) and had my suspicions then

There was a pertussis outbreak about 6-7 years ago that included several counties in my area . Boy, I'll never forget this. There were something like 80 some cases within a few months and then a child died. The county health departments had people really worked up about it. Each and every employee that had any kind of patient contact (everyone) at the county hospital I worked was given a 5 day course of, I think is was, erythromycin. Yep, they just handed it out. I even had to have my son swabbed because he had a cold with a cough.

Of course people could see their own docs or refuse the meds, but I think that if they refused, they could not work for a period of time or something like that. There was an alternative med (a sulfa) for those who couldn't take erythromycin. I'm not sure if it was just the county hospital that took these steps but cases were popping up in many hospitals in the area.

I agree with fergus1. This was around the time that many many people had kids who had not been, or were not getting immunized for fear of the slim chance that something awful would happen to their child's health. I think it built up over a period of a few years. It really made these very young kids suseptible to the adults and older children who are natural reservoirs of this bacteria.

Not this year. We did have an outbreak in my hometown when I was a nursing student. It seemed to be one of the unforseen consequences of the whole autism hoopla. People weren't vaccinating as much because of fears the vaccines could cause autism and the pertussis vaccine is one of the less effective ones anyways, so once one kid gets it, it can spread fast.

How right you are, fergus. I went down to our local hospital to have some blood work done last Thursday, and was told that it is very serious in our area. I do believe I'll be remaining inside where it's warm and cozy until it goes away, because if I get it, I'm not sure I would survive. I haad it when I was a child anyway, and I heard that once you have had it, you become immune. I surely hope that's right.

"One attack usually confers lifelong immunity".

I think you'll be ok Fran. :)

"One attack usually confers lifelong immunity".

I think you'll be ok Fran. :)

At ease mind. You have to rest now, so go laugh. Thank you for the encouragement, my friend.