Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Washington Pertussis Outbreak Is Very, Very Bad

Bad Astronomy wrote Washington pertussis outbreak is very, very bad.

"Got that? There are 13 times as many people – more than 2500 in total so far – getting pertussis right now as there were last year at this time in Washington.

Some of this increase may be attributable to the pertussis bacterium growing a resistance to the vaccine and booster. However, it’s curious that Washington state has seen such a large jump; the incidence of pertussis overall in that state is nine times higher than the national average.

Why would this be? Well, it so happens that the antivax movement is quite strong in Washington state, and it also so happens that parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children in higher numbers there than the rest of the nation."

1 comment:

Irina said...

I had pertussis when I was in high school and I still remember how awful this illness was. It's crazy not to vaccinate your child. I have been vaccinated only against polio (my mother had it as a child and almost died, a year of an iron lung) and smallpox. Nothing else was available. As a result, I had mumps, chicken pox, scarlet fever, measles, pertussis, everything under the sun. My first memory is of being sick with measles. I'm about 1 year old and my room is always completely dark.
I could already speak a little and I ask for light. Anyway, the basic thought in all this drivel is 'People, vaccinate your children!'