Practice News

Pertussis on the Rise

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is concerned that 2010 will be a peak year for pertussis,as was 2005 when at least eight infants died. So far in 2010, four infants are known to have died of pertussis in California, in comparison with an average of three cases per year over the past decade. All fatal cases in 2010 have been in infants <3 months of age, as have been all fatal cases, except one, since 1996. In addition, the reported number of pertussis cases in 2010 is more than double that of last year for the same time period.

Given the vulnerability of infants <3months, we are urging all parents/ caregivers (grandparents < 65 years of age, nannies, babysitters) to receive the Tdap immunization to prevent passing along the whooping cough to infants too young to immunize. We also recommend that parents confirm that their school age children are up to date with all their vaccines, including the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) x 5 doses by age 6 and Tdap at age 11.