Whooping cough outbreak in Floyd County blamed on lax vaccinations

[laconicsax]

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/282419

Blue Mountain School closed after an outbreak of whooping cough among children who never got vaccinated.

A small, private Floyd County school has closed for the week after more than half its students became ill with whooping cough.

At least 30 people associated with Blue Mountain School have been diagnosed with the highly contagious disease, also called pertussis, including 23 of its 45 students, said Shelly Emmett, the alternative school's director.

...

Children in Floyd who have the illness were not vaccinated, O'Dell said. With the adults, it could be that they were never revaccinated with a booster shot and their immunity to the disease has waned.

The article also includes the reminder that "There are several components to the anti-vaccine movement. Some people choose not to immunize their children out of concerns that the vaccines cause harm. Others disagree with the recommended timetable, and some cite religious reasons."

[pnwmom]

1. Whooping cough vaccine immunity wears off over time.

I know a girl who had the whole series but got whooping cough in middle school; at that age, the symptoms can seem mild enough to resemble a long-lasting cold.

[trotsky]

8. Yes of course it does.

Which is why boosters have always been recommended.

[laconicsax]

9. The OP mentions that...in bold text. n/t

[Norrin Radd]

2. I had it for months, in my twenties in the mid 90's. No health care, and too poor for shots.

[pnwmom]

3. An erithromycin type drug can help, at least so it's not as contagious.

My friend's daughter just had to take pills, no shots.

[hedgehog]

6. IIRC, unless the antibiotic is used early, you're stuck with the cough.

Once the bacteria take hold, they produce a toxin that takes the body a long time to clear. The toxin triggers the month's long cough.

I an convinced that my husband picked up whooping cough last year. He had nasty cold symptoms, but didn't think much of it. Then he had a cough for several months that would leave him gasping for air. Later we found there'd been a small whooping cough outbreak in the area. He'd had all his shots years ago, but the immunity does wear off. There is a new adult safe vaccination that you can get with your 10 year tetanus shot.

[eilen]

4. This year's flu shot had a pertussis vaccine in it as well.

These shots are not expensive and are offered at many places in the community in the Fall. They are beneficial, unless you are allergic. Today I see people in the hospital with flu so ask your doctor if he has any left. It takes a few weeks for it to work.

[hedgehog]

7. I think some of the places that offered a flu shot also offered a separate

Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis). There is a recommendation of at least a two year wait between diptheria vaccinations.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-td-tdap.pdf

[xchrom]

5. recommend