Physician Health Articles
Sutter Davis Hospital

Pertussis Epidemic in California
By Sarah Markley, M.D.

There has been a lot of information in the news lately about pertussis, also known as whooping cough. According to the California Department of Public Health, the recent outbreaks and deaths have become an epidemic. California is on track for this to be the worst year of the disease in more than 50 years. Here is some information on what pertussis is and how to prevent it.

Pertussis is a disease that is cased by bacteria called Bordatella Pertussis. It can start as a cough and runny nose for one to two weeks, followed by months of coughing fits that are sometimes accompanied by a whooping sound.  There is usually no associated fever.  Infants less than 6 months often do not have the characteristic whooping cough. Instead they can have gasping/gagging, seizures or panic spells where they stop breathing. The disease in infants can be fatal. As of July 2010, there have been nine infant deaths in California due to pertussis infection.

Pertussis is highly contagious and is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Unimmunized children and adults and incompletely immunized infants are especially at risk to get the disease. Hand washing is always important to prevent spread of infectious diseases, but in the case of pertussis, vaccination is key to disease prevention

Routine pertussis vaccination begins at 2 months of age, but babies are not adequately protected until they receive their third shot in the series at 6 months. If a child has never been vaccinated, it is never too late to start. Most children who have been immunized lose their immunity by middle school and so teens and adults require booster vaccinations to retain immunity. The pertussis booster is usually given with the tetanus booster, and should be given every 10 years

The most important thing that we can do to protect our infants and unvaccinated children, besides vaccinating them, is to vaccinate ourselves. It is especially important for new parents, caretakers of young babies and health care workers to be immunized. Pregnant women may get the vaccine during or after pregnancy, and many hospitals are implementing policies to vaccinate new mothers and fathers at no cost before they take their newborns home

Individuals should contact their regular health care provider or local health department to inquire about pertussis vaccination.  With a little bit of effort, we can quell the epidemic of pertussis and protect our children from this serious disease.