True and False: A 400% increase in whooping cough cases in California and the tragic death of 5 babies there does not mean panic at the pandemic ‘du jour’.
When parents stop vaccinating, epidemics will happen. Americans always used to vaccinate for whooping cough and should.
But I hate the whooping cough immunization commercial. It accuses parents of killing their children by hugging them. It is one of the most scare mongering we have seen recently. I am not saying that any death is insignificant only that as an immediate mass killer, it is not significant although parents should immunize. But the ads and sensational media stories make whooping cough seem like the next pandemic, more frightening than H1N1, worse than any other danger by implication.
What are the facts?:
- 400% increase in cases does not mean all of the US is at imminent risk. Californian risk has increased and Nevada and surrounding states are watching closely.
- The babies at risk are too young for vaccinations or haven’t had the 5 dose vaccination.
- Those carrying for babies can wash their hands frequently and should get the vaccine.
- Having the vaccine or having had whooping cough doesn’t provide lifelong immunity.
- By all means get the immunization, but it is not on the top of the baby safety priority list, even for babies in the high risk state of California.
- Nationally, roughly 8 in 100,000 people contract whooping cough compared with less than 1 in 100,000 when we were all vaccinating. 76 in 100,000 before the vaccinations became available.
- The recent increase has been in cases in teens.
- Last year 18 people (including children) died, out of over 300 million.
Up until recently America has been vigilant about keeping immunized for whooping cough. Most children and parents have had the vaccine. Parents have got to realize that immunizations stop deaths. Kids need these! Parents falsely fear immunizations. The doctor who started the autism/vaccination scare has had his license revoked for fabricating the tests and he alledgedly took money to falsify the tests so parents could sue drug manufacturers. As parents, we need to get down to the facts and the facts are that vaccinations stop deaths.
But with whooping cough, vaccinate but also know that there are (unfortunately) many more dangerous threats to our babies than whooping cough. Properly buckling your child, getting the flu vaccine, MMR vaccine, preventing child abuse, are all good starts for really protecting our children. Protect from whooping cough, but don’t neglect bigger safety measures. And don’t panic.
