News Moms Need

Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is on the rise, even among people who have been vaccinated. In the past year, cases in California have increased seven-fold, with 2,774 confirmed cases. Outbreaks have also occurred in New York, South Carolina and Michigan.

No one really knows why the disease is increasing, but we do know that the vaccine is not 100% effecive. If whooping cough is circulating in a community, it’s possible for a vaccinated person to get the disease.

The effectieness of the vaccine fades over time. So adolescents and adults may need to be revaccinated; check with your health care provider.

Because some of the symptoms of whooping cough are similar to a cold, it may take a while for a person to realize it’s more than a cold. But after 1-2 weeks, severe coughing begins.   

Infants and children who have the disease cough often and violently; they inhale with a loud “whooping sound.” Whooping cough is most severe in babies.

To learn more, go to the Sounds of Pertussis Web site. The U.S  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has helpful information.

California is facing the most serious outbreak of whooping cough in 50 years. Five infants have died of the disease since the first of the year, and over 900 people have gotten sick.

Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, stated, “Whooping cough is now an epidemic in California. Children should be vaccinated against the disease, and parents, family members and caregivers of infants need a booster shot.”

This is a reminder to all of us to have our children vaccinated and to keep our own immunizations up to date. Stay healthy, everyone!

Young children are routinely vaccinated against rotavirus disease to help prevent severe diarrhea and dehydration. Before the vaccine, tens of thousands of children in the United States were hospitalized ever year with rotavirus disease; some of them died.

The trade names for the rotavirus vaccine are Rotarix and RotaTeq. These two forms of the vaccine are made by different companies.

Today the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked health providers to temporarily stop using Rotarix. Pieces of a virus called PCV1 have been found in Rotarix.

The FDA stressed that there is no evidence that these virus fragments pose a safety risk. But the agency wants to be cautious and do additional research to be sure.

If your child has received Rotarix, don’t be alarmed. He or she doesn’t need any special follow-up medical care. But if you have questions, call your child’s health care provider.

Reseachers have not found any traces of virus in  RotaTeq, the second form of vaccine against rotavirus disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be vaccinated against rotavirus. So for now, RotaTeq is the vaccine to be used.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced lots of helpful ways to encourage people to get flu shots.

* Check out the video.
* Send an e-card to someone you care about.
* Add a badge to your Web site, Facebook or Myspace page.
* Add a widget to your Web site, Facebook or Myspace page.

Remember: The flu can be a serious, even life-threatening disease. All women who will be pregnant during the flu season should get a flu shot. And all healthy children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years should, too.  To learn who else should be vaccinated, visit the CDC Web site.

Measles, Mumps, Polio – Not too far back, these diseases threatened the lives of our parents.  But, thanks to the advances made in health and science, these illnesses and many others are nearly wiped out in the U.S. today. 

Vaccines play a huge role in keeping our kids safe from infectious diseases.  Unfortunately, there is a growing movement against vaccinating children and more than 1 in 5 of the nation’s two-year-olds are NOT being fully vaccinated. 

This trend should alarm all parents.  Without maintaining high vaccination rates in our population, we could very soon see the day when these diseases return with full force.  Every child needs to be vaccinated to avoid this threat.

While, in rare cases, a child may have an allergic reaction to a vaccine, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any risks. When vaccinated, children are protected against very serious and life-threatening diseases.  Learn more about vaccinations or contact your health care provider with any questions you may have.