An increase in pertussis cases nation wide is prompting the Pratt County Health Department to do a review of 11-year-olds vaccination records.
The Centers for Disease Control advisory committee for immunization practices suggested the review.
Pertussis is also known as whooping cough and is a highly contagious respiratory disease. The county health department is requesting school nurses to review their vaccination records to learn how many students need a booster vaccination.
“We’re still working on identifying how many kids need the vaccination,” said Deb McGraw, Pratt County director of public health.
The health department is targeting 11-year-olds that need to get the required Tdap booster for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Children that haven’t been immunized in the last 10 years should get the booster.
Parents and guardians can bring in immunization records and the health department will review those free of charge. Cost of the vaccination is $58 and the health department bills all insurances, McGraw said.
A payment assistance program is available through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Now through July 31 11-year-old students with birthdays between Sept. 1, 1997 and July 31, 1998 can get the $58 vaccination for just $10 but they have to come to the health department before July 31 to qualify for the reduced fee, McGraw said.
The CDC also provides vaccine for children that don’t have health insurance or have a health waver. The health department does a patient history to verify health insurance status.
The health department has 70 doses in stock and is accepting patients.
“We are giving immunizations at the health department now,” McGraw said. “Come in from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays or call for an appointment during the week.” The health department wants the vaccinations complete before August.
The health department is using a new Tdap vaccine called Adecel. It is licensed for people between ages 11 to 64. Anyone who is in that age range can receive the booster. The former limits on the Tdap booster was from ages 10 to 18 so the new vaccine has a wider effective age range.
The goal of the review is to stop the spread of vaccine preventable diseases. During her 20 years at the health department McGraw has not seen tetanus or diphtheria but she has seen a few cases of pertussis but not recently.
The Tdap vaccine is given at two months, four months, six months, one year, at school entry and a booster dose at age 11.
Pertussis is a respiratory disease that typically affects children with severe coughing spasms, a whooping sound and vomiting, according to the CDC web site.
Nation wide pertussis cases have increased steadily since the 1980s. In an average year from 5,000 to 7,000 cases are reported. In 2007 the CDC reported 10,454 cases and 10 deaths in children. Unvaccinated children or those too young to vaccinate are most susceptible to death.
Pertussis is highly contagious with 90 percent of contacts developing the disease after exposure, according to the CDC web site.
Pratt, Kan. —
