With whooping cough cases on the rise, Tulare County public health officials urge vaccination

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Cases of whooping cough are connected the emergence crossed Tulare County, according to section nationalist wellness officials.

"We're seeing a batch of cases successful individuals nether the property of 1 - infants - and that fig has been going up this year," said Dr. Thomas Overton, lawman nationalist wellness serviceman with Tulare County Public Health. "We privation to marque definite that large women, arsenic good arsenic their household members, are vaccinated."

Whooping cough, besides known arsenic pertussis, is simply a highly contagious bacterial illness that spreads done coughing. It tin origin terrible unwellness and whitethorn beryllium deadly.

"It decidedly tin be, particularly for children nether 6 and the elderly," said Dr. Theodor Yasko, main nonmigratory astatine Adventist Health Tulare.

Yasko emphasized the value of community-wide vaccination.

"Children younger than 6 months are excessively young to person the vaccine, truthful they trust connected the assemblage to beryllium protected," helium said.

While bully hygiene and staying location erstwhile sick tin assistance trim transmission, doctors accidental prevention done vaccination is key.

"The uptick successful whooping cough and pertussis infections is attributed to a alteration successful vaccinations," Yasko said. "In communities with little vaccination rates, we spot an summation successful infections. It's important to enactment that determination is nary hazard of autism from the Tdap vaccine, it has been thoroughly studied for a agelong time."

As section schoolhouse districts hole to invited students back, officials are urging parents to beryllium vigilant for symptoms.

"We privation to marque definite each our students and unit are steadfast going into the schoolhouse year," said Cristina Gutierrez with Visalia Unified School District. "Getting vaccinated is not lone a requirement, but it helps support our pupil populations steadfast each twelvemonth long."

Tulare County wellness officials promote residents to talk with their doctors if they person questions astir the vaccine. Vaccines are typically covered by security and are besides disposable for escaped astatine assorted region events.

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