4:00pm | As the whooping cough epidemic has become an issue of concern in California, and Federal health officials are even becoming involved in some areas, Long Beach has seen an increase in cases of the bacteria but hospitals and the Health Department are well prepared.
The city has documented 61 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, as of last week. None have been deadly, says Long Beach Health Officer Helene Calvet, M.D., but pertussis does pose a risk to children. Ten infants across California have died this year.
“This is the most cases we’ve seen [in Long Beach] in at least the last fifteen years, so we’re like the rest of the state in that this is more than we’ve seen in the past,” says Calvet. “The people most at risk are infants, especially those less than six months old.”
Calvet says a program developed by the state has been very helpful in educating new mothers and family members about necessary precautions. It offers information and vaccines to women almost immediately after giving birth. State officials have cautioned that childcare providers should consider vaccination to avoid passing it to children.
Pertussis is most dangerous to infants and un-vaccinated children because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. Calvet says that some people could have pertussis and simply believe they have a bad cough, because their immune systems are more developed and can handle it.
“It starts out just like a cold with a runny nose and watery eyes, a little bit of a fever,” she says. “But then the cough starts. It’s really bad and just goes on for weeks and weeks. Someone who’s not been vaccinated ever before would be more vulnerable.”
But the vaccines are widely available at hospitals across Long Beach, and Calvet says all local hospitals have been very cooperative in working to ensure they are prepared. The vaccine is most important because it offers safety to otherwise vulnerable children, but health officials have been surprised to learn that older children that received the vaccination years ago have also been contracting pertussis. Long Beach has seen eight cases of pertussis in children between the ages of seven and nine.
“There’s just not a clear plan for what should be done for patients around this age,” Calvet says. Children even aged ten or older should consider the vaccine, because it can wear off after several years.
The state isn’t taking any chances. The pertussis epidemic could worsen if it reaches school-aged children (there has already been a minor outbreak at one Long Beach elementary school, though Calvet wouldn’t specify which one). State health officials recently mandated that children in grades 7-12 must receive pertussis vaccinations before starting the 2011-12 school year. The mandate goes into effect on July 1. Calvet says her department has already begun working with the Long Beach Unified School District on strategies to prevent outbreaks.
“We really hope that parents will go ahead and get it,” she says.
For now, Calvet and the rest of the Long Beach Health Department are staying in close contact with state officials to determine the next course of action.
“I’m sure this epidemic that we’re having in the state will be much much better,” Calvet says. “It’s just a matter of time as people are hearing the word and getting educated about how to protect themselves.”