Aug. 18--Most parents know they should vaccinate their children against a host of childhood diseases.
But they may not realize that adults also need vaccinations updated for one disease that's become an epidemic in some states -- whooping cough.
Whooping cough, the more common name for the illness pertussis, is among the childhood diseases routinely included in the booster shots given to young children.
But Michele Roberts, manager of the Health Promotions and Communications Unit in the state Department of Health, said the pertussis shot given to young children starts to wear off by the time they're 11.
Unless teenagers and adults get a new vaccination, they could spread the disease to infants -- who can't be vaccinated and are the most vulnerable to fatal cases of whooping cough.
For adults and teenagers, the pertussis vaccine is bundled with the tetanus shot they should be getting every 10 years, Roberts said.
Public health officials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on down to the Benton-Franklin Health District agree that immunization is the best way to prevent the spread of whooping cough.
And immunizing teens and adults is the best way to shelter newborns from the disease, Roberts said.
"The whole strategy is a national push," she said. "We call it cocooning -- creating a circle of protection around the newborn."
Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by Bordatella pertussis bacteria, according to a state fact sheet.
Dr. Larry Jecha, health officer for the Benton-Franklin Health District, said it starts like any other respiratory infection with symptoms similar to a nasty cold -- sneezing, runny nose, fever and cough.
It's the cough that's distinctive. Children tend to make a whooping sound with a pertussis cough because they're struggling to catch their breath.
"If you heard it, you'd know," Jecha said.
But the whooping is less prevalent in adults and teenagers, who may just have a prolonged cough that persists for weeks or even a couple of months.
Complications for infants include pneumonia, ear infection, loss of appetite, brain disorders or death.
Adults and teenagers may develop pneumonia or experience problems sleeping, urine leakage or broken ribs from severe coughing.
Whooping cough is on the rise in some states. California is having its worst epidemic of the disease in 50 years.
But the news is brighter for Washingtonians, where cases seem to be declining, Roberts said.
State data shows 1,026 reported cases in 2005. That number hovered between about 400 and 500 from 2006 to 2008. But in 2009 it had dropped off to 291.
Roberts said there were 181 cases in Washington through the end of July 2009. That was down to 142 by the end of July this year.
Whooping cough cases have been minimal in Benton and Franklin counties, according to state data.
Benton County reported seven cases in 2005, five in 2006, three in 2007, four in 2008 and six in 2009.
Franklin County reported two cases 2005, three in 2006, five in 2007, and none in 2008 or 2009.
Roberts said immunization remains important because there may be a number of unreported cases in people who don't have symptoms, or adults who don't realize they have what is commonly thought of as a childhood illness.
"We know reporting is only the tip of the iceberg," Roberts said.
-- Michelle Dupler: 582-1543; mdupler@tricityherald.com
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