A whooping cough epidemic is currently infecting California, says the California Department of Public Health. In just the last two weeks, over 800 cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, have been reported in the state. Already, almost 3,500 cases have been reported this year, which is more than all the cases in 2013.
While the number of cases is alarming, officials have said that the sickness spikes every 3 to 5 years, and the last time it spiked was in 2010. That makes it very possible that the sickness is spiking this year, which would result in such a large number of reported cases.
Whooping cough is extremely contagious and is spread through the air. Infants and young children are most likely to get it, as adults have been vaccinated for the disease. However, even adults who have gotten vaccinated may still get the disease.
“Unlike some other vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, neither vaccination nor illness from pertussis offers lifetime immunity,” Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “However, vaccination is still the best defense against the potentially fatal diseases.”
Whooping cough has a number of symptoms. The disease begins with mild symptoms, such as coughing, having a runny nose, sneezing, and other symptoms usually attributed to the common cold. After a week or two, the symptoms can become worse, and may include a shortness of breath, vomiting, severe coughing attacks, and more.
Although some of the symptoms are bad, the disease does not generally lead to death. If a patient does catch whooping cough, he or she is usually treated with antibiotics. The total length of the illness is about 6-8 weeks, although some of the worst symptoms will fade away before then.
i suggest the simple minded do a little research. it can be as little as watching penn and teller’s take on this. vaccinations save children’s lives. pertussis may not kill, but theses idiots generally refuse the mmr for their kids and those diseases can kill. so since you like things natural for you children- here is a list you might enjoy- rabies, nightshade
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It may not be the immigrant children now but they will have to be vaccinated before being allowed to join their parents or before being placed in foster care. It may be the numbers of children whose airhead parents are electing not to have them vaccinated because of the mistaken, misinformed belief that vaccinations cause autism.
“Whooping cough is extremely contagious and is spread through the air.
Infants and young children are most likely to get it, as adults have
been vaccinated for the disease. However, even adults who have gotten vaccinated may still get the disease.” Oh, how dare those unvaccinated babies share your air! Wait….the article says it spikes every 5 years or so, and the vaccinated can still catch it. The vaccine is a “defense” and there was a 2010 spike. Tell you what, vaccinated genius-stay away from all babies with airhead parents and you should be safe from the current spike. If you catch it, oh well…..should have gotten a booster!
Of course it’s the liberal democrats….Hey buddy imigration is your problem too. You have an answer? Course not. You just like to bitch on websites. Read the article, it says nothing about immigrants you ass. Jumping on an alarming health crisis and politicizing shows how much of an ignorant prick you are. Or should I just say…republican.
You can thank the liberal Democrats for allowing every illegal into California, unchecked for what illnesses they bring to the USA that were eradicated her prior, now we have measles, whooping cough, lice, and who knows what else clogging up our health system, spreading to otherwise healthy children. Apparently we stopped immunizing years ago because the diseases were gone, now we need to start over again with Polio and the rest.
I wonder what native Americans think of the descendants of Europeans ranting about immigration. Or what descendants of the Spanish (who settled California) think about anglos ranting about it.
BTW, did the you read the part of the article that says that pertussis spikes every few years? Or the part stating that vaccination, though not fully effective, is the best preventative? I wonder how many liberal Democrats have refused to get their kids vaccinated.
Antivaxxers are of many political bents, from weirdo liberal to wieido Republican hyperChristians. It’s a conspiracy-ignorance thing, not a Democrat-Republican thing
Who stopped immunizing? The only “gone” disease I know of is smallpox, and the current vaccine requirement is addressed in 69 shots that all schools and daycares in the U.S. require. Care to start all over again? Care to move away from all immigrants? Immigrate, but not to my country, you ignorant sod!