Schools

PUSD 4-Year-Old Among 6 New Pertussis Cases

The preschooler was up-to-date on immunizations.

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is reporting six new cases of pertussis at five school sites in the past week potentially exposing other students and staff.

[Poway Unified student: A 4-year-old who was up-to-date on immunizations and attends a preschool at Highland Ranch Elementary School.]

The recent cases bring this year’s case total to 35. There were 165 total cases reported in 2012, with 29 cases at this same time last year. There were a record 1,144 cases in 2010.

Find out what's happening in Powaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“This is a reminder that pertussis is always around,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County Public Health Officer. “Even though we aren’t seeing the record numbers of recent years, pertussis is still in our community; we encourage parents to make sure their children are up-to-date with their recommended doses of whooping cough vaccine.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children get doses of DTaP vaccine at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months and 4 to 6 years. Health officials also recommend that preteens and adults get a Tdap booster. The ultimate goal is to prevent deaths that can result as a complication of pertussis. Infants under one year old are especially vulnerable.

Find out what's happening in Powaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Parents can obtain the vaccine series and the Tdap booster shot for themselves and their children through their primary care physicians. 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 sdiz.org.

For more information about whooping cough, please call the HHSA Immunization Branch at 866-358-2966, or visit the web site at sdiz.org

-County of San Diego news release


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here