Health Signs - Summer 2011 - (Page 6)

Don’t Ignore the Threat Why kids and adults should get immunized against whooping cough W Ending the Epidemic 6 SUMMER 2011 Washington On Wheels (W.O.W.) Mobile Health Clinic is holding walk-in whooping cough (Tdap) immunization clinics this summer. Visit whhs.com/wow or call 510-608-3203 for more information. When was the last time you received a pertussis—or whooping cough—vaccine booster? What about your children? Are their vaccinations up to date? Ever since children began receiving DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) shots as part of their routine early childhood health regimen, whooping cough is not something most people worry about. Yet, the California Department of Public Health now recommends that all Californians be immunized against this highly contagious disease, especially if they come in contact with infants. “We are facing a whooping cough epidemic over the last two years,” says Ali Hallaj-pour, M.D., a pediatrician on the medical staff at Washington Hospital. “Whooping cough is a preventable disease and, in rare instances, it can be life-threatening, especially among very young babies who have not yet been immunized. For this and other reasons, the epidemic is alarming and we should all be concerned about getting it under control. Besides making people sick, whooping cough represents a growing cost to our health care system and causes adults and children to miss more days of work and school.” identify,” Hallaj-pour says. “Most people think they simply have a persistent cough from a cold or allergy. By the time they come in to see their physician, the illness is usually at a more advanced stage and harder to treat. That’s why preventing whooping cough in the first place through immunization is the best course of action.” Because whooping cough is communicated through contact and the droplets produced from coughing, you can help prevent it through the same measures recommended to stop the spread of colds and flu: Cough into your elbow and wash your hands frequently. Children normally receive the whooping cough vaccine at age 2 months, 4 months and 6 months. Another dose is given at about 18 months of age, and a booster before children enter kindergarten. Prevention Is the Best Medicine Through the Washington on Wheels (W.O.W.) Mobile Health Clinic, Washington Hospital is working to make whooping cough immunizations available to the community as well as on school campuses. Walk-in whooping cough (Tdap) immunization clinics are held: Every Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fremont Family Resource Center 39155 Liberty St., Fremont If you are uninsured, alternative resources are available to provide the whooping cough vaccination at low or no cost. For more information, contact: Washington On Wheels — 510-608-3203 Tri-City Health Center in Fremont — 510-770-8040 Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center — 510-471-5880 Boosting Their Immunity Because it wears off over time, immunity from whooping cough is generally low by the time children reach their teens. In September 2010, the California Legislature passed a law requiring that all children entering seventh grade through 12th grade must have a whooping cough booster (Tdap) before starting the school year this fall. If you have a youngster entering these grades in the coming school year, don’t wait until the last minute to get his or her whooping cough booster. Check with your primary care physician. Adults should also receive a booster if they have not had one in the last 10 years. “It is especially important that adults be immunized against whooping cough if they are around very young infants,” says Hallaj-pour. “This includes moms, dads, grandparents and other family members who may be caring for the baby.” • Statistics from the Department of Public Health show that our state is facing the worst outbreak of whooping cough in generations. More than 9,000 cases were reported to the state in 2010, the most since 1947. Last year, 10 infants in California died of the disease. In 2011, whooping cough has continued at increased levels, with more than 1,100 cases as of mid-May. No deaths have been reported this year. According to the Department of Public Health, vaccination is the best defense against whooping cough. “The challenge of this disease is that it is very hard to GET UP TO SPEED ON IMMUNIZATION To learn more about whooping cough immunization go to whhs.com/cough. For further details on the Washington On Wheels (W.O.W.) Mobile Health Clinic for schools or the community, visit whhs.com/wow or call 510-608-3203. http://www.whhs.com/wow http://www.whhs.com/cough http://www.whhs.com/wow

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Health Signs - Summer 2011

Health Signs - Summer 2011
WHHS Earns Patient Safety Excellence Award, and the Center for Joint Replacement ranks No. 1 in California
The next evolution of breast cancer surgery
Why kids and adults should get immunized against whooping cough
Bringing comfort and care to patients receiving chemo treatments

Health Signs - Summer 2011