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.
I didn't know that...my granddaughter is 18 months and in the middle of getting her shots...they've been free, but my son has been underemployed until two months ago, and was on AZ's health care assistance program.
Here's another vaccination most parents don't remember...my sister-in-law was a school nurse...all people should receive a Tetanus booster every 10 years. Each decade year '80, '90, '00, etc., she took her family in for vaccinations.
It's not a tough decision unless you have a family history of reactions to immunizations.
You take your kids places in the car. You take them on airplanes. Everything in life involves risk. With immunizations, the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Certainly you can ride the wave of immunity created by people who get the shots. That's like taking welfare. Sooner or later, the pool of immunized kids diminishes and you have epidemics.
You still need a tetanus booster every ten years, but they usually don't give it unless you're going out of the country or if you've cut yourself on something.
Carolyn
We're sounding more and more like a third world country everyday.
There used be booster shots. One shot doesn't work for life, you know.
Hope you and your family get well soon. Between Whooping cough and meningitis warnings, looks like a fun year. /sarcasm
Two confirmed cases in my sons High school here in Oregon!
I have a cousin that nearly died from whoping cough when she was a baby. We need to do better screening at our borders and stopp the illegals.
I had it as a child..I remember it very well..It was summer and all the neighbors moved to the bedrooms farthiest from my bedroom..My whoops kept them awake. My dad held me in his arms under a "tent" with a vaporizer...I had to play alone all summer...It was hard on my parents..no sleep and my dad had to go to work.
I thought DPT shots had this under control.
"Insofar as I know babies still have to get the shot against this."
No, they don't. This is one parents can refuse, and over the last 10 years or so, many have. Some parents are stupid.
Really? How old are you that you didn't get the immunization, and why did you not immunize your children?
My sister wishes she was "stupid". My nephew's life was DESTROYED by a "harmless DPT shot". He would have been much better off getting the chance to fight off the disease.
To be fair, I believe some diseases come into this country through our own citizens -- traveling to countries where these diseases are prevalent and not themselves being immunized.
Thanks for posting this reminder. I think that too many people forget how good we have it these days.
Appreciate the post, ppaul. Is this likely to be misdiagnosed, especially in the elderly?... My mother-in-law has had a persistent cough for weeks now, and she went to a doc and was told she didn't have TB!
To be fair some of these shots can have severe reactions. This is an area where some parents anguish over what to do. Get the child the shot or not? We did and eventually opted to go with the shot. Worked for us and out child had no problem.
Let me ask you this. We face a similar situation again. The CDC is recommending that children under 15 get a meningitis vaccine. Do you or don't you? We had several kids die from meningitis when I was in high school. Do we have our child get the meningitis vaccine when he gets his other booster this summer?
another day, another reason to
HOME SCHOOL!
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