Posted on 06/09/2005 12:26:04 AM PDT by ppaul
Whooping Cough Outbreak
Communities throughout the U.S. are experiencing whooping cough (pertussis) outbreaks - the worst in 40 years.
If the school nurse or the health department informs you that there is a pertussis outbreak in your school or community, you may need to call your pediatrician. The school or health department will tell you if your child was directly exposed and requires antibiotics.
Health departments across the country are acting quickly to prevent the spread of pertussis, so your cooperation in contacting your pediatrician is crucial. Please follow the instruction of the health department. The care of children in an outbreak situation is different from care in isolated cases and the health department has the most updated information on how best to prevent disease.
This illness is called pertussis because it is caused by bacteria called Bordetella pertussis, which attacks the lining of the breathing passages, producing severe inflammation and narrowing of the airways. Severe coughing is a prominent symptom. Because the child is short of breath, she inhales deeply and quickly between coughs. These breaths frequently make a “whooping” sound, which is how this illness got its common name. Older children might not have the whoop sound. The intense coughing scatters the pertussis bacteria into the air, spreading the disease to other susceptible persons.
Symptoms of Whooping Cough
Whooping cough often acts like a common cold for a week or two. Then the cough gets worse, and the child may start to have the characteristic “whoops.” During this phase (which can last two weeks or more), the child often is short of breath and can look bluish around the mouth. She also may tear, drool and vomit. Infants with pertussis become exhausted and develop complications, such as susceptibility to other infections, pneumonia and seizures. Pertussis can be fatal in infants, but the usual course is for recovery to begin after two to four more weeks. The cough may not disappear for months and may return with subsequent respiratory infections.
When to Call Your Pediatrician
Pertussis infection starts out acting like a cold. You should consider the possibility of whooping cough if the following conditions are present.
The child is a very young infant who has not been fully immunized and/or has had exposure to someone with a chronic cough or the disease.
The child’s cough becomes severe and frequent, or her lips and fingertips become dark or blue.
She becomes exhausted after coughing episodes, eats poorly, vomits after coughing and/or looks “sick.”
Treatment for Exposure
The course of treatment depends on the nature of the exposure. If there is a whooping cough case in your school but your child has not been directly exposed, your health department or pediatrician may just recommend that you watch closely for developing symptoms. If your child was directly exposed, your child may need to be treated with antibiotics even if they are not showing symptoms. Your health department and pediatrician will be able to recommend what’s best for your particular circumstances.
Treatment for Disease
Depending upon the age of the child and the severity of the illness, treatment may include the following either at home or in the hospital:
Antibiotics – may be given intravenously.
Close observation – sometimes in an intensive-care setting.
Oxygen and intravenous fluids.
To be fair some of these shots can have severe reactions.
***
Yup...I remember the swine flu vaccine from many years ago. I was ok but some people who got the vaccine were permanently disabled or died.
Something else: I read somewhere a while back that some of the vaccines I and others of my generation received as children 30 or more years ago might become less effective over time. Or that new and more virulent strains are no match for these old vaccinations. I don't know which ones.
My kids' pediatrician said they're finding now that the vaccine is effective for about 10 years. This covers the most critical early years for the children when whooping cough can be seriously life threatening.
Evidently, boosters for whooping cough are being researched.
LOL another reason for the end all, cure all.
What state/city are you in?
Did your children receive the DPT vaccination for Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough) and Tetanus?
People also should remember that at the same time sanitary conditions have greatly improved in this country since the time there were epidemics.
Just the other day my neighbor's daughter got her first baby shots (she's 16 and going into a nursing program). When asked about it, the daugher laughed and said, "Because my mom's crazy." Her mom answered, "I home birthed, home schooled, and read a lot of books." The nurse's reaction was, "That explains it."
Vaccination doesn't convey perpetual immunity.
It doesn't; it just lets people whip their favorite hobbyhorse.
Insofar as I know babies still have to get the shot against this.
No, only those attending school. Homeschooled children are not required to be immunized and are therefore wretched pits of disease. *tweak*
I talked to a few people on a few other boards about this topic a few weeks ago. A lot of people mentioned the times their children got whooping cough or an epidemic started in their town, the first person to have it was always a vaccinated person.
Whoa. Thanks for the heads up. All of my kids have a cold right now. I will be sure to watch for other symptoms.
I live just north of Boulder and this was a very rough season for flu, colds, etc. I suspect we will see whooping cough here also.
I don't care if people get tired of hearing it attributed to immigration, because here, it is absolutely the case. The Hispanic population is rapidly increasing and I am not sure how many are legal. They do not get immunized.
Also, in the Boulder area, the Lib anti-immunization freaks are also a problem. Because of their politics, they will cause other peoples children to become ill.
My husbands brothers kids were exposed to whooping cough (in San Diego). The three oldest kids (all under 14) were completely vaccinated, the youngest (6) was not vaccinated at all. The oldest got a terrible case of it and had to be hospitalized, the second never got it, the third had a serious case of it, but did not have to be hospitalized, and the youngest (and unvaccinated) never even got a runny nose. My husbands brother was the one that got it first and his wasn't too bad. So who knows...
Now if they'd just come up with an effective vaccine against liberalism... :)
You are the seventh person on this thread to ask for a location. Don't hold your breath for an answer.
Prayers to you and yours.
Apparently, we need illegal immigrants to spread the diseases that Americans refuse to spread.
I suspect the resurrection of diseases such as whooping cough and TB have to do with the flood of illegal aliens across our borders.
DPT shot - diptheria-pertussis-tetanus
All vaccines come with risks and so do nearly all medications - I'll take the risks.
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