Whooping cough now an epidemic in California.
"According to a statement just released by the California Department of Public Health, pertussis — whooping cough — is now officially an epidemic in California. That’s right: an almost completely preventable disease is coming back with a roar in California. There have been well over 900 cases of pertussis in that state this year, over four times as many as this time last year (and 600 more suspected cases are being investigated). If this keeps up, California may see more cases in 2010 than it has in 50 years."
"Infants aren’t fully protected against pertussis until they have completed the first schedule of vaccinations, when they reach 6 months. Before then, they are vulnerable to the disease. The most likely reservoir for the bacterium? Unvaccinated people, including other children. If too many people go unvaccinated, the disease can find a host and survive long enough to infect others. If enough people are vaccinated, that chance drops. This effect is called herd immunity, and it’s the only thing that can keep this highly contagious and potentially fatal disease away from infants."
4 comments:
Not the first time that disinformation has killed people, but this is really frustrating.
The problem here is that uneducated parents are putting not only their own children at risk, but other children who cannot tolerate the vaccine (or similar vaccines) or who are not old enough to receive the vaccine.
This is what happens at the frightening intersection of ignorance and selfishness.
It's not just Pertussis, but a whole range of previously "wiped out" childhood diseases which are making a comeback in the US.
Congratulations to those folks who want to discredit medicine in particular, and science in general. You are winning.... and children are unnecessarily dying because of you.
TT
Altough the article seems to put blame on the anti-vaccination croud (and why not, they certainly don't help), poor public health policies in general probably contribute more. Those without easy access (largely immigrants and the poor) or who don't know they need it are probably a larger pool of unvaccinated than those who choose not to.
But I suppose possibly giving free healthcare to illegal immagrants could never play politically, even if it has a positve impact on overall community health. Just like clean needle programs or condoms in schools.
The article does say vaccinations are free (hospitals don't check citizenship, CA isn't AZ). But it's true new immigrants or parents might not know about them.
The article does say they don't know the reason yet, but there are a few hundred cases being investigated. Will be interesting to see the outcome. But yeah, they are quick to blame the anti-vaccination crowd, and as you say, why not?
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