Pertussis Epidemic in Bay Area/CA?

[anewmama]

I just saw this in our local paper. Has this come up yet on this forum? I am going to start poking around but would love some feedback on this or perspective.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15362462

[Adallae]

Subbing. I live in Sacramento County (a few hours east of the Bay Area), but this was being discussed in our local news as well.

[slaggyc]

Subbing too- daily reports here in the Central Valley of an epidemic.

[hippy mum]

I'm looking, but I don't have the stats yet. I'm trying to find the actual number of vaccinated, partial vax and unvaccinated for the number of cases reported.
Just try to keep in mind during this, the news is prob not going to report the number of vaccinated persons down with this.

[mom0810]

Doesn't wc "resurface" every 5 years or so, anyway?

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by mom0810

Doesn't wc "resurface" every 5 years or so, anyway?

yup...I think it goes in 4 year cycles

[Deborah]

It is endemic and then there is a surge every few years. Not sure if it is 3 or 5.

Funny, Marnica and I were posting at the same time. Somewhere between 3 to 5 years, I guess!

[anewmama]

surges

Yes, this would be the cycle. I just would not want to be a new mom with an infant if we are on a surge. Several infants have died so that would make this a hard decision for parents for those who are open on the fence about vaccination.

My daughter is now nearly 3 1/2 but it did make me pause and wonder if this is going to be short lived or if there is something bigger brewing.

I am grateful she is in a small preschool, it's summer and there are fewer kids around so her exposure to "public" is more minimal. If she is not at preschool, she is home or at our property in the country. I won't keep her isolated but our normal lives doesn't take us out in public alot anyway. I am pretty sure I had WC when I was about 23. It was a really rough period to get through.

[Adallae]

Forgive me if this is a silly question - but if it's cyclical, doesn't that means it's not an epidemic? I thought part of the definition of epidemic was that the number of cases exceeds what is expected. Sounds like this is somewhat predictable.

Thanks for the info.

[hippy mum]

That's my thinking since it cycles. But, they will say "oubreak" to push vaccines. For the deaths-they were under 4m right? So they would have been under the partially vaccinated status if they had received any at all. But, the media will push those deaths to the top to slam the non vaxers, and hide how old the babes were.

[nalusj]

I read in the Press Democrat (Sonoma Co):
"California had 910 recorded cases of whooping cough as of June 15, five of which resulted in deaths. All five deaths were Latino children under 3 months of age."
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article...CLES/100629785

I live in San Diego and it has been in the news here as well. It is my understanding that WC is most "dangerous" to infants under 6 mos of age. Thoughts on this?

[mama1803]

More vax propaganda.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010...kes-california

[Jaesun's Dad]

Originally Posted by bbrandonsmom

For the deaths-they were under 4m right? So they would have been under the partially vaccinated status if they had received any at all.

Presumably they contracted it from others who were older.

[mom0810]

Here's a quote on the matter from Dr. Sheri Tenpenny today...

"Craziness. How to you like the WORDS chosen for this headline? I'm sure it was on the TV news too. And then they declair an epidemic over 5 deaths in the last six months. Pertussis is most serious in children under 3 months; this is really nothing new...and the statistic is pretty constant from year to year. Just a way to get the fear-drummer to whip up another round of hysteria. No on knows the Vitamin D3 stats of those hispanic babies...or anythign else about their health...and no one knows if what the out come would have been if they HAD been vaccinated. The "assumption" is that vaccines = no illness. Not true!"

[Jaesun's Dad]

n/m

[poppan]

Originally Posted by bbrandonsmom

I'm looking, but I don't have the stats yet. I'm trying to find the actual number of vaccinated, partial vax and unvaccinated for the number of cases reported.
Just try to keep in mind during this, the news is prob not going to report the number of vaccinated persons down with this.

I haven't found any numbers on vax'd vs partial vs unvax'd either. Basically the same 2-3 articles being recycled on every local paper. It's interesting because when I first heard this on the radio a few weeks ago, it wasn't hysterical and blaming on philosophical exemption parents as it is now.

[Deborah]

much more comfortable to blame the parents who question vaccination than it would be to face up to the shortcomings of the vaccine.

I'll make a prediction. At some point, someone will develop a new vaccine against pertussis which actually prevents transmission and carriage of this bug. At that point it will be admitted that the old vaccine didn't really work. But not before then.

[mom0810]

Deborah, that is exactly what happened with the OLD DTP vaccine. they came out with the new one and all of a sudden it was, "and oh, by the way, that old vaccine was less than 50% effective."

[mom0810]

JD, I am not sure as to Dr. Tenpenny's usual literary skills... but usually, on the internet, aren't things a bit more "casual"? I know I am certainly not careful about grammar online...and it's usually not a doctor's area of concentration, anyway. Ever tried to read their writing??

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by nalusj

I read in the Press Democrat (Sonoma Co):
"California had 910 recorded cases of whooping cough as of June 15, five of which resulted in deaths. All five deaths were Latino children under 3 months of age."
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article...CLES/100629785

This would make sense, particularly if these children came from undocumented immigrant families, who in many cases have no incentive to seek medical care. In fact, the powers that be discourage it.

Pertussis is treatable, provided that people seek treatment.