The San Benito County Public Health staff offered a low-cost
whooping cough vaccination clinic at San Benito High School on May
26 for middle school and high school students in need of the Tdap
vaccination.
The San Benito County Public Health staff offered a low-cost whooping cough vaccination clinic at San Benito High School on May 26 for middle school and high school students in need of the Tdap vaccination.
The state Assembly approved bill 354 last year after an outbreak of whooping cough led to the death of 10 infants in 2010. The bill requires all students in seventh through 12th grade to show proof of vaccination before they can return to school in the fall. The law goes into effect July 1.
“There are a lot that are unaccounted for,” said Angela Gladstone, the immunization coordinator. “We estimate there are 4,000 to 5,000 in that population. Probably only a quarter have returned proof.”
Students who have been vaccinated will need to bring in their yellow vaccination card before the school year begins in August. Those who have not been vaccinated should seek out the vaccination from their primary care physicians or local pharmacies.
For last week’s clinic, the schools sent home information about the clinic to parents. The cost of the vaccination was $10 per student.
“We’ve primarily worked with schools,” said Patricia Morales, the public information officer for the public health department, of alerting the public about the epidemic. “We’ve sent out health alerts to all the providers.”
Every year after next year, all students entering the seventh grade will need to get the immunization.
The vaccination is a response to a large growth in pertussis, or whooping cough, cases in the past few years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most recent numbers show that more than 17,000 cases of whooping cough were reported throughout the country in 2009, affecting mostly infants and teens.
In San Benito County, eight cases were reported, an increase from one that was reported in 2008, county public nurse Allison Griffin said. Two cases to infants have been reported in the county this year.
“Adolescents were where the disease is spreading – through that cohort,” Gladstone said.
The symptoms include a runny nose, low-grade fever and rapid deep coughs that are followed by a high-pitched “whoop,” according to the CDC. The disease can lead to death if untreated because of exhaustion and the inability to breathe normally. Infants who do not start getting vaccinated until two months of age – and then need a booster when they are between 4 to 6 years old – are at most risk for the illness.
“It wears off after a while,” said Gladstone, of the need to revaccinate students.
In addition to middle school and high school students who require the shot, the state last year started recommending the vaccination for people in contact with infants under one year of age or pregnant women, and their immediate family.
The public health department, since last April had been holding a weekly Tdap clinic by appointment. But they do have limited supplies from the state for the low-cost clinics for residents outside of the seventh to 12th-grade target age.
At last week’s clinic, the staff received 100 forms back for students who needed to be vaccinated so many more students will likely need the vaccine before next fall.
“We talked to one school about (doing a clinic in) summer school,” Morales said. “We are open to holding additional clinics. We want to get as many vaccinated prior to school starting.”
For more information contact the Public Health Division at 637-5367 or visit www.shotsforschool.org.
