Stay out of Ingraham (if pregnant or if you have an infant)

A notice went out to all the parents at IHS, but there are two confirmed cases of pertussis (whooping cough) at Ingraham. Pregnant women and infants should stay out of the school building for a bit.

Whooping cough in high school?  Get the vaccinations, okay?

Comments

Anonymous said…
There were 17 cases at Roosevelt this winter. It is making the rounds.

-HS Parent
3inSPS said…
Vacations didn't help my family and I. All of us had it two summers ago. It is hateful way to spend a summer I will tell you. And yes we thought it was just a bad cough because we all had "our shots."

If you cough like you never remember coughing go to the doctor.

Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said…
3inSPS,

Are you sure the vaccinations did not help? A few (<5) DTaP immunizations can project against the most serious symptoms. Did you get all FIVE DTaP shots? That is completely effective in 70% of people. If you get all 5 shots on the right schedule that effectiveness rises to 98% for children.

Glad you got through it OK.

-HardcoreVaccinator

Anonymous said…
My daughter goes to Roosevelt. I think there were likely more than 17 cases. Those were just the confirmed ones. Both my daughter and I got it. She had all 5 DTaP shots, plus the booster only a couple of years ago (I also had the booster about 4 years ago). While the vaccinations did not protect us from getting whooping cough, I believe it prevented the illness from being as severe as it is in people who are not vaccinated.
Anonymous said…
The current whooping cough vaccine is notoriously ineffective since they developed the new "acelullular" shot 20 years ago, after the old "whole cell" DPT shot was believed to have caused multiple injuries in children.

Like the flu vaccine, it's imperfect, but it is all we have. So yes, we all need to be cautious - esp. with those with small babies.

-lilliput
RosieReader said…
Yesterday the doctor told us that the vaccine is 90% effective. We don't yet know if my daughter is one of the unlucky 10%, or just has a bad chest cold, but given her cough she is out of school. Herd immunity should be precisely what works in times like this, but of course, many families 'know better' than the public health experts and don't vaccinate. And right now, I really hate all those people.
Anonymous said…
My kids, who are vaccinated, went to a very low vaccination rate school and now both go to very high vaccination rate schools. I have seen more whooping cough at the high vaccination rate schools than I ever saw in the low vaccination rate school.

HP
Anonymous said…
@HP
How many kids were enrolled in the low vaccination rate school -vs- the high vaccination rate school? Can you give us an idea of the percentages of kids who came down with whooping cough at the two schools?

- reality check
Anonymous said…
A bad cough is not always pertussis, FWIW.

There are MANY viruses that cause big time coughs - just like there are many stomach bugs, many bugs that cause 'flu-like symptoms' but are not "the flu". (I know - hubby has been in ER with flu-like symptoms leading to fainting and it wasn't "the flu", astounding everyone. "Just a bug".)

So - you can see a heck of a lot of coughing at a school, and it doesn't mean it's pertussis. Pertussis can kill babies and elderly in a way that most of the other 'coughs,' unpleasant and loud and noticeable as they are, don't.

Hey, my new robot foiler captcha was a Japanese word! That's cool!

Signed: Vaccinate


Anonymous said…
True vaccinate,

I am assuming that those who say they got whooping cough had it definitively diagnosed. If not, they are doing everyone an extreme disservice.

I had a lingering cough so bad I broke a rib coughing. Went to the doctor and got he swab up the nose, and guess what - it was NOT pertussis.

-HardcoreVaccinator
Anonymous said…
The poster obviously doesn't know very much about viruses or how they travel.

Go ahead and use your scare tactics, but why stop at Ingraham? why not North Seattle.

Really MW sometimes you come off like a box of nails.

--Michael
Anonymous said…
Michael, whooping cough (pertussis) is highly contagious and is most commonly spread by coughing and sneezing. It is very dangerous for infants and, therefore, pregnant women.

The pertussis vaccines have been demonstrated to be highly effective; thus, the medical community and people who trust in science, research, and their doctors highly recommend the vaccines.

So, what did Melissa say that came off as a scare tactic? Her post came off as pretty straightforward.

--- swk
Anonymous said…
Exactly, why should only women who are pregnant or have an infant say out. I was there today at 8:30 AM. I touched the door handle of the north entrance. I then touched my nose and mouth...

My GOD what should I do? Why wasn't the entire school roped off!

Whooping cough is highly contagious and is spread among people by direct contact with fluids from the nose or mouth of infected people. People contaminate their hands with respiratory secretions from an infected person and then touch their own mouth or nose.

--Michael


You can disagree without being disagreeable.
Anonymous said…
Michael, I don't understand what you're trying to say (but, then again, I'm not trying very hard to understand you).

Let's suffice it to say that whooping cough can be deadly to infants and that may be why Melissa wisely cautioned pregnant women and people with infants to avoid IHS.

--- swk
Anonymous said…
Ok, let me try this,

The virus will travel from Ingraham by whomever gets in contact with it. That person can pass it on to a infant or pregnant women by contact miles away. Thus, they could become infected and never set foot in Ingraham. Furthermore the person who passed it on could have be vaccinated, but it MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.

The school could have been infected by a vaccinated visitor
,so stop your un-vaccinated witch hunt, because it shows you know nothing about viruses.

--Michael
Lori said…
Whooping cough is bacterial, not viral.
Anonymous said…
Vaccines are something a spend a lot of time reading current studies and talking about. yes measles outbreaks are due to low vaccination rates. But pertussis is different. Studies of the efficacy of the dTaP vaccine and the TdaP vaccine vary greatly. Most show 70 to 85% protection if fully vaccinated. Some small studies have shown 95%, and a recent study showed it could be as low as 55%-75%. It has been difficult to make a more effective vaccine that isn't whole cell. I support the change from whole cell vaccine due to the severity of fever and febrile seizures and the resulting fear of vaccines in general. The vaccine schedule we have has adapted to include boosters for teens and adults and vaccination of pregnant women to provide antibody protection to the baby through the placenta. Improved diagnosis of pertussis with PCR is speeding treatment and decreasing spread. Hopefully an improved vaccine will be developed before too long, but I'm not aware of any candidates for that.

Digging deeper
Anonymous said…
Well given that I never heard of anyone having whooping cough at the low vaccination rate school during our 15 years there (3 pre-K, 1-12), I just find it odd the number of cases at schools with high vaccination rates. While my kid does not go to either Ingraham or Roosevelt, they interact a lot with kids from those schools through sports and outside classes. As I said, my own kids are vaccinated and are up to date on their Pertussis shots.

HP
Anonymous said…
See that's shows you how much I know!

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.

Its highly unlikely to stop a bacterium with a shot. It can be everywhere. Wash your hands and dont touch your eyes, nose and mouth is about all you can do.

Ever wonder why the Japaneses where face mask during flue season, when they could just take a shot?

--Michael
Anonymous said…
Both 4th grades classes at North Beach are sick with the Flu.

Not sure how many yet, but this morning it was about 25%.


NBP
Anonymous said…
Michael - you continue to show how little you know…. "it is highly unlikely to stop a bacterium with a shot"….. etc

Actually a number of vaccines are directed at bacteria - heard of diphtheria? Well, you won't nowadays but prior to widespread immunization against the bacteria causing it (Corynebacterium) it cause thousands of deaths. In the 1920s for instance, there were an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 cases of diphtheria per year in the United States, causing 13,000 to 15,000 deaths per year. The vaccine against it is given along with tetanus, and pertussis (TDaP). Contrast to pre vaccine figures, there were 53 reported cases of diphtheria between 1980 and 2000 in the US. So very effective - no?

Another bacteria we vaccinate against, also successfully, is tetanus (caused by the bacteria Clostridium Tetani). We also vaccinate against HiB (the hemophilus influenzae b bacteria) which causes pneumonia and meningitis in young children, Neisseria meningitidis which causes meningitis in college-aged kids, Strep pneumoniae which causes pneumonia.

Just because the acellular pertussis vaccine has somewhat lower efficacy than most other vaccines is not due to pertussis being a bacterial infection, nor does it mean it is not worthwhile being vaccinated. In fact it means it is even more important to get boosters on time as the immunity it confers is more likely to wane with time.

Getting immunized and having on-time boosters not only protects you, but protects any infants, pregnant women that may suffer very severe/fatal disease and are can't be immunized themselves.

And Melissa's advice is prudent - if you know there is an outbreak of a disease (i.e. a number of cases) in a particular location and you are unimmunized, pregnant, or have an infant, you would be wise to avoid exposure by avoiding that location at present. Of course you can't avoid every potential source of exposure out in public (and as Michael says - the folks exposed at Ingraham will likely be out and about in our community) but you can avoid the ones you know about.

MD

Anonymous said…
I think there were a couple of cases of Whooping Cough at Hale this year, too.

There seems to be a lot of anti-absenteeism pressure, especially in high school, for fear of falling behind. Perhaps kids went to school who were sick, not knowing what they had until they finally saw a doctor?

Just speculation on my part.

- North-end Mom
Anonymous said…
I found there are two side to every story. Those who think a Tetanus shot is necessary whenever you cut yourself are confused. So why does the ER push them for every laceration?

And what do Tetanus and diphtheria have in common?

Tetanus, commonly called lockjaw, is caused by a bacterium that is mostly present in soil, manure, and in the digestive tracts of animals and humans. Tetanus is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from person to person. The bacteria often enter the body through a puncture wound, which can be a small as a pin prick, or wounds made rusty nails or dirty knives;
Tetanus bacteria do not survive in the presence of oxygen, which is why puncture wounds, which do not bleed very much and are protected by tissue and skin from direct exposure to the air, are a perfect environment for tetanus bacteria to multiply and cause infection.

I think the facts show there's still a large chance you will contract Pertussis if it makes its way into your body. The same is true for most other diseases whether viral or bacterium sourced.

I have NEVER had vaccines for diphtheria, Pertussis or Tetanus and have never contracted any of them. These vaccines are minimally effective, but I suppose if I dug around in horse manure containing sharp objects then it might make sense.

Remember doctors are NEVER wrong -Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US, Killing 225,000 People Every Year

Just Saying
Anonymous said…
Just Saying says "vaccines for diphtheria...are minimally effective." I imagine no amount of evidence to the contrary will convince Just Saying otherwise.

For that reason, I wholeheartedly support efforts to rescind the personal belief exemption on vaccines for attendance in public schools.

--- swk
Anonymous said…
@swk

Good luck with that , hey I think they are looking for you in Italy.

There no way that would work. Since it's the States' paramount duty to provide FAPE WA state would have to pay for compensatory education if students where barred from the schools over vaccines.

So lets see someone try and FORCE students to have vaccines shot in to them against their free will. Never going to happen!

Just Saying.
Anonymous said…
I would suggest for most people to become informed on how a vaccine is produced; the processing of its ingredients and more importantly the ingredients themselves need to be closely examined. Without this kind of information it is impossible to make an intelligent decision. This information is readily available..it just takes your personal effort and willingness to learn and become informed. We should also elect our government officials following this "golden rule" BE INFORMED...we have that right... But that right becomes violated when Parents are MANDATED to vaccinate their children as an "entrance" (hidden) fee to public school education.

When people are "healthy" it is because of what they eat...when you eat healthy, you stay healthy and illnesses seem to disappear. However, due to the heavy arm of financial ($$$) influences from the Pharmaceuticals upon too many of our elected U.S. government officials, these elected officials have sold the American people out in favor of "Agendas"($$$) of entities such as, the Pharmaceuticals.

Vaccines are not the answer for the problems we face in Education, Finance, poor housing, hopelessly polluted environment and our food and energy crisis'. And, vaccines are certainly not a solution to our morally corrupt ways......Become INFORMED and learn how you can turn down "MANDATED" vaccines...IT is YOUR Right!!! if that's what you chose...but be fully informed FIRST...THIS is good advice...don't you agree....

Yours Truly
Anonymous said…
The new super bugs will devastate a school if one ever gets established. That's what we should be worried about not these very benign sicknesses. I'm not discounting that some might be at a high risk, but it's more likely you will die in a car accident than die from whooping cough. Please start washing your hands at school and stop using those gel hand sanitizers!

MBA
"When people are "healthy" it is because of what they eat...when you eat healthy, you stay healthy and illnesses seem to disappear."

You are totally wrong. People can eat well AND exercise regularly and still get diseases. Come tell us about it when you or someone you love gets cancer and you plan to "eat" your way out of it.
cmj said…
Yours Truly, there are children who cannot be vaccinated due to health reasons. They have a right to an education, but they're reliant on herd immunity. What if your child--like this 6 year old in California-- was recovering from leukemia and had her immune system wiped out by chemo? She might not be able to attend school for fear of dying of measles because other parents didn't vaccinate their children.

Healthy living will not protect you from disease. Eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising will not keep you safe from polio. Or meningitis. Or measles. Or HIV. It might diminish your risk of cancer, but it will hardly eliminate it. It will probably protect you from the common cold, but that's about it.

Anti-vaxxers should remember that a little learning is a dangerous thing. Those who only learn a little rarely realize how much they don't know. Reading a few articles on vaccines will not make someone more knowledgeable about vaccines than a doctor who actually went through medical school and took years of chemistry and biochemistry classes. Here's an explanation by a medical doctor of why you shouldn't panic when you read the list of ingredients to a vaccine.

I agree with MBA about laying off the hand sanitizer unless you're around contagious people. Most bacteria will not hurt you. Antibiotic-resistant superbugs are a serious public health threat.
Lynn said…
Of the 34 patients in the current measles outbreak whose vaccination status is known, only five were fully vaccinated, according to the Los Angeles Times. And the worst of the outbreak is centered in Orange County, ground zero for the anti-vaccination movement that's put children at risk over junk science.
No one has put it more succinctly than James Cherry, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles, who told the New York Times, "There are some pretty dumb people out there."
Anonymous said…
I agree that one problem is the pressure in some of our high schools not to miss school. In some classes my kids have had, you could not make up in-class labs or attendance points or debate participation, etc. There was no way to completely recover your grade. Then there were always times when miscommunication about makeup work or having it misplaced because it is graded at a different time, adds to problems that may not be discovered until the semester ends. some students got to the point where they always asked for a receipt so they could prove they handed in homework with one teacher if it was handed in late due to absence.

I think high schools could make it easier to recover academically if they really want sick kids to stay home.

-HS Parent
Anonymous said…
Yep sure were a lot of DUMB people in the 60s and 70s who got the measles and went on to live very long and productive lives and never contracted the measles again.



LONDON ­ Polio, the dreaded paralyzing disease stamped out in the industrialized world, is spreading in Nigeria. And health officials say in some cases, it's caused by the vaccine used to fight it.
In July, the World Health Organization issued a warning that this vaccine-spread virus might extend beyond Africa. So far, 124 Nigerian children have been paralyzed this year - about twice those afflicted in 2008.

The polio problem is just the latest challenge to global health authorities trying to convince wary citizens that vaccines can save them from dreaded disease. For years, myths have abounded about vaccines - that they were the Western world's plan to sterilize Africans or give them AIDS. The sad polio reality fuels misguided fears and underscores the challenges authorities face using a flawed vaccine.

Nigeria and most other poor nations use an oral polio vaccine because it's cheaper, easier, and protects entire communities.

But it is made from a live polio virus - albeit weakened - which carries a small risk of causing polio for every million or so doses given. In even rarer instances, the virus in the vaccine can mutate into a deadlier version that ignites new outbreaks.

Scare Tactics
Scare, do you truly understand the reality of health? There is NO fix for everything. Every baby will not be born healthy. Vaccines, medicine, surgery - every kind of health care - even food - carries risk.

Again, you are wrong. My sister had polio. Real polio and paralysis and then, a lifelong weaken state. If she (and her friends) had a polio vaccine, it is beyond impeachment that many more would have lived and been helped than hurt.

You are the one using scare tactics.

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