Aug. 05--The first day of school is looming across West Virginia, and that means all the maladies, like head colds, strep throat and good oldfashioned runny noses, will be coming home from the classroom to the living room.
Some illnesses, of course, are far more serious than others, but Lloyd White has a prescription to keep kids healthy all year long.
Just make sure their immunizations are current, said White, chief administrator of the Marion County Health Department, in Fairmont.
"Public health is all about prevention," White said, "and immunizations are obviously the best way to keep your kids healthy."
That includes the sometimesfatal whooping cough, an illness once on the wane that has now been declared an epidemic in California, according to numbers culled by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), in Atlanta.
More than 900 cases have been confirmed there this summer, the CDC said, including the deaths of five infants all under the age of 3 months.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a contagious disease caused by bacteria, the CDC said, and it starts out with symptoms similar to the common cold, with a slight fever, sneezing, coughing and a runny nose.
After one or two weeks, coughing fits worsen, causing sufferers to gasp for air -- which is where the characteristic "whoop" comes in.
Coughing can be so intense that the victim's face can turn blue. Nosebleeds and vomiting often follow, the CDC said.
In 2004, in Preston County, a 4-week-old infant died of whooping cough, marking the state's first confirmed death from the disease since 1974.
Whooping cough came calling in Preston again in 2006, when a Preston High School student was diagnosed.
"We definitely think about it," said Jeannie Welch, a nurse with the Preston County Health Department. "I know California is having some issues [with whooping cough]. You need to get those shots."
West Virginia's Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services agree, and both are recommending that seventhgraders receive the whooping cough vaccine -- part of the trio of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis known as Tdap -- before the start of school.
It's all part of the effort known collectively as the "7th Grade Vaccination Initiative," and it includes the meningococcal/meningitis shot known as MCV. The initiative is being funded with more than $800,000 in stimulus money.
Both the Tdap and MCV shots are offered free of charge, said Jeff Neccuzi, who directs the state's Division of Immunization Services.
It's easy for parents to miss both of them, Neccuzi said.
"Statistically, we know that many of West Virginia's adolescents are missing both the booster dose of Tdap and their only dose of MCV," he said. "This initiative makes the vaccines available without any out-of-pocket expenses to the parent."
Immunization records will also be screened and reviewed, and parents will be notified of any missed immunizations, he said.
Holly Hildreth, a public health educator with the Monongalia County Health Department, encourages parents to contact their family physician. The department will also offer immunizations by appointment only from 1:30-6:45 p.m. Aug. 17, she said.
Appointments may be made by calling 304-598-5119.
Vaccines are also being offered at various clinics across Fairmont and Marion County, White said, including the department of health. For information, call the department at 304-366-3360.
For information on other locations across north-central West Virginia, call the Preston County Health Department at 304-329-0096; and the Taylor County Health Department at 304-265-1288.
-----
To see more of The Dominion Post or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dominionpost.com/.
Copyright (c) 2010, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail services@mctinfoservices.com, or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544).