CDPH warns of ongoing pertussis risk The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently warned about the ongoing danger of pertussis (whooping cough). According to state public health officials, pertussis continues to spread at above-normal levels in California following last year's epidemic, when reported disease rates were the highest they've been since the 1950s. Pertussis can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening complications in infants, especially within the first six months of life. The disease has already caused one infant death and at least 126 infant hospitalizations in California this year. Physicians are reminded that the best ... August 6, 2015 General Immunization, Pertussis, Public Health, Vaccination, Whooping Cough, Department of Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Pertussis on the rise in California The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reporting an uptick in cases of pertussis since the beginning of the year. According to the state, a total of 2,649 cases have been reported, with more than 800 new cases reported in April alone—the highest monthly count since the 2010 epidemic. Pertussis can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening complications in infants, especially within the first 6 months of life.Two infant mortalities have been reported this year—the first infant pertussis fatalities reported since 2010. In 2010, 9,159 total cases were reported, including ... June 18, 2014 General Public Health, Immunization, Pertussis, Whooping Cough 0 0 Comment Read More »
First infant death reported as rates of pertussis more than double in California The California Department of Public Health recently reported the first death of an infant from pertussis since 2010, the last time the disease peaked in the state. That year, pertussis reached epidemic levels with more than 9,100 cases and 10 deaths in California alone. Whooping cough rates typically rise and fall in a three- to five-year cycle. According to public health officials, pertussis cases had been declining since they peaked in 2010, but began to go up again in mid-2013. The state's preliminary case count for 2013 is 2,372, up ... February 20, 2014 General Faccination, Pertussis, Department of Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Vaccine refusal tied to pertussis outbreak Parents refusing to vaccinate their children against pertussis (also known as whooping cough) might have played a role in the deadly 2010 outbreak in California – this according to a new study published in the October issue of Pediatrics. In 2010, 9,120 cases of pertussis were reported in California, the most since 1947. This new study examines the role of clusters of individuals who refused the vaccine. The study, “Nonmedical Vaccine Exemptions and Pertussis in California, 2010," analyzes non-medical exemptions for children entering kindergarten from 2005 through 2010, and pertussis cases ... October 2, 2013 General Advocacy, Immunization, Pertussis, Whooping Cough, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
