The County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is working with Chula Vista High School officials to notify students, parents, and staff who may have been exposed to pertussis or whooping cough.
A 17-year-old student at the school was diagnosed with the disease. The student was up-to-date with the pertussis vaccine.
“The number of pertussis cases has decreased this year; however, the disease continues to sicken children in schools,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., public health officer for the county. “Vaccination is the best protection against whooping cough. The ultimate goal is to prevent deaths that can result from complications of pertussis. Infants under one year old are especially vulnerable.”
To date, 138 whooping cough cases have been reported in the region this year. A total of 400 pertussis cases were reported locally in 2011.
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.
Parents can obtain the vaccine series and the Tdap booster shot for themselves and their children through their primary care physicians or local retail pharmacies which offer vaccinations for a fee. People with no medical insurance can get the shot from any of the County’s public health centers 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.
