Mobile County health officials have confirmed a growing number of pertussis, or whooping cough, cases this summer, prompting renewed calls for families to make sure their children are up to date on vaccinations.
Case Counts Rising Through the Summer
According to the Mobile County Health Department, 27 pertussis cases were recorded between the start of May and July 1, up from 25 cases reported just two weeks earlier on June 20. Of those 27 cases, 14 have been formally confirmed, with additional suspected cases still under investigation. Health department officials say the county has now logged 31 pertussis cases for all of 2014 combined, a dramatic jump compared with just eight confirmed and probable cases recorded in the entire 2013 calendar year.
Dr. Paola Maurtua-Neumann, a pediatrician affiliated with the University of South Alabama Children’s Medical Center, has diagnosed the majority of this year’s cases, according to the health department.
A Disease That Hits Youngest Children Hardest
Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness that causes severe, uncontrollable coughing fits that can make it difficult to breathe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes the disease is especially dangerous, and can be fatal, for infants younger than one year old.
Health officials stress that once a pertussis case is confirmed, everyone living in the same household as the infected person should be treated with antibiotics as a precaution, regardless of their vaccination history, since the disease spreads so easily among close contacts.
Vaccination Requirements and Where to Get Shots
Alabama has required a Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, for students entering sixth grade since the 2010-11 school year. With classes starting back up soon, the Mobile County Health Department is offering free or low-cost immunizations throughout the summer to help parents secure updated immunization certificates before the school year begins.
Walk-in vaccinations are available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the health department’s downtown Mobile office at 251 N. Bayou St. Immunizations by appointment are also offered at eight satellite clinics located throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties. Appointments are recommended but not required.
Parents and caregivers bringing children in for shots are asked to bring existing immunization records along with Social Security cards and Medicaid cards or other proof of insurance. Families with questions can call the health department at 251-690-8889 or visit its website for more information on locations and eligibility for free or reduced-cost vaccines.