Do Healthcare Providers In Washington Report All People Tested For Whooping Cough
In Washington, whooping cough is a reportable condition and even a suspected case is supposed to be reported by healthcare professionals to their local health agencies. Some providers are unaware of the requirement to report. Some cases of whooping cough are diagnosed as other conditions and aren’t reported. Some people with whooping cough don’t go for medical attention and aren’t diagnosed. An estimated one in 10 cases of whooping cough is reported to public health.
What If My Child Can’t Be Vaccinated
Some children cannot receive certain vaccines due to allergic reactions or other medical conditions. Because they can’t be vaccinated, they are at risk of getting diseases that the vaccine would have protected them from.
You can help protect your children by encouraging those around your child to be up to date with their vaccination. Diseases that may not seem serious to adults can be very harmful to vulnerable children.
Flu Vaccine For Adults Around Babies
Babies younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu complications but are too young to receive a flu vaccine. Heres how to protect the baby from flu:
- Before the baby is born, the mother should get a flu shot while she is pregnant to protect herself from the flu and protect the baby from flu illness for the first several months after birth, when they are too young to get vaccinated.
- Everyone who cares for the baby should get vaccinated during each flu season.
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How Can I Comfort My Baby During Shots
My baby cries uncontrollably when she gets a shot. How can I make the experience easier for her? Kate
Getting shots can be tough on you and your child, but the benefits are worth the effort. Fortunately, you can do a few things to make the experience less painful and stressful.
If your daughter is a newborn or under 5 months old, try a method called the “5 S’s” immediately after she gets a vaccine. These are:
Research has shown that doing at least 4 of the 5 S’s greatly reduces the amount of time infants cry after getting a shot. If you’re OK with breastfeeding your daughter at the doctor’s office , this alone can be an effective way to distract your baby and calm her down. You might even be able to do it while your child gets the vaccine.
In some situations, a sugar water solution may be available. Dipping a pacifier into this solution, then giving it to a fussy baby may help soothe the child.
Before and after the shot is given, try applying gentle pressure and rubbing the skin around the injection site. This massage may prevent the area from feeling so painful.
At What Age Should I Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine
When you initially get the vaccine and how often you get it after that will depend on your age:
- Preteens and teens: Preteens and teens should receive their Tdap booster shot at age 11 or 12.
- Adults: Adults who were not vaccinated as teens can receive their Tdap at any time.
- Pregnant people: The CDC recommends that pregnant people receive their Tdap vaccine between weeks 27-36 of each pregnancy.
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Where Can I Get Whooping Cough Vaccine
There are many places that offer whooping cough vaccine:
- Your health care provider
- Your local health agency
For your child, vaccines are often due on their scheduled well child visits and will be given by their healthcare provider. If you need help finding a health care provider or if you don’t have health insurance, call the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588 or visit the ParentHelp123 website.
Do Vaccinations Have Risks Or Side Effects
Like any medicine, vaccinations can cause side effects. Most of the time, side effects from vaccinations are mild, go away on their own and last only a few days. Most side effects are a good sign that your babys immune system is building up protection against the disease they were vaccinated against. Your babys immune system helps protect them from infection.
Ask your babys provider about possible side effects of vaccinations, including:
- Redness, swelling or soreness at the spot where your baby got the shot
Severe allergic reactions to vaccines are rare. An allergic reaction is a reaction to something that enters your body. About 1 in 1 million doses of vaccines causes a severe allergic reaction. A severe allergic reaction happens within minutes or a few hours of the vaccination. If your baby has signs of a severe allergic reaction or a reaction that you think is an emergency, call 911. Signs of a severe allergic reaction include:
- Breathing problems
- Swelling of the throat and face
- Hives. These are red bumps on your skin that sometimes itch.
- Fever, sleepiness and not wanting to eat
- Weakness, dizziness and fast heartbeat
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Who Should Receive A Flu Shot
Create a protective barrier around your newborn by ensuring everyone in your household over the age of 6 months receives an annual flu vaccination. By getting vaccinated, you are less likely to catch the flu and are therefore less likely to pass it on to your infant.
Anyone who will be around your baby should also get the flu vaccine, advises Dr. Kronman. This includes parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other family members or friends who will be caring for your newborn. The flu vaccination can be administered via a shot or a nasal spray, depending on the type of vaccination.
Do You Recommend These Same Vaccines For Grandparents And Other Family Members Who Will Be In Close Contact With The Newborn
I do. All close contacts to the newborn should be vaccinated with the annual influenza vaccine at least 2 weeks before meeting the baby.
They should also have had Tdap in the last 10 years. If they have not received that vaccine, they should get a Tdap booster at least 2 weeks before meeting the baby.
Read: How to Prepare for Flu Season: A Family Guide
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Were There Documented Whooping Cough Cases In Healthcare Workers During The 2012 Epidemic
Yes, there were several cases of pertussis in healthcare workers during Washington’s 2012 whooping cough epidemic. We recommend that all healthcare workers have a Tdap vaccination, stay home when they’re sick, and use appropriate personal protective equipment to prevent infection when caring for patients with respiratory infections like whooping cough and flu.
Why Should I Get Vaccinated If I Don’t Have Close Contact With Babies
While you may not have direct contact with babies, you may be around them in public places such as the grocery store or the library. Babies often catch whooping cough from an adult or family member who may not even know they have the disease. Babies who get whooping cough often have to be hospitalized and could die.
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When To Get It:
CDC recommends that all adults get a flu shot every flu season. In the United States, flu season usually lasts from October to May. Each years new batch of flu vaccines typically becomes available in late summer.
If youd like to get a flu shot outside of flu season, ask your pharmacist or doctor about getting the most recent vaccine.
Cost Of A Tdap Vaccine
The cost of the vaccine is covered under most private insurance plans. Be sure to check with your insurance provider for details. You can also check with your state health departments or local health centers for low-cost or free vaccinations.
Tdap vaccines are also covered under Medicare part D plans. There may be a cost associated with your specific plan, though, so check with your Medicare representative.
depending on your age and vaccination history:
- Ages 11 to 12 years: 1 dose Tdap
- Pregnancy: 1 dose Tdap during each pregnancy, preferably anytime between 27 to 36 weeks
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Who Needs To Follow A Different Vaccination Schedule
Your provider may recommend a different vaccination schedule if your baby is at risk of getting certain diseases or is off-schedule. For example, your baby may need a different schedule if:
- Your baby has health conditions like HIV , sickle cell disease, heart disease and certain cancers.
- Your baby is traveling outside the United States. Some diseases are more common in other parts of the world than in the U.S., so check with your babys provider if your baby is traveling outside this country.
- Theres a disease outbreak. An outbreak is the sudden start or increase of a disease at a certain time and place. If you live in an area where theres a measles outbreak, ask your babys provider about what vaccination schedule your baby needs to follow.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people missed their vaccination appointments. If your babys vaccinations were delayed because of COVID-19, contact their health care provider as soon as possible to get back on schedule.
Talk to your babys health care provider to learn more about vaccinations.
How Common Is Whooping Cough In Washington
Whooping cough is always active in our state. In a typical year, Washington has anywhere between 184 and 1026 cases of whooping cough, but in 2012 we had an epidemic with nearly 5000 cases. In the past 20 years, whooping cough has caused as many as two deaths in some years with no deaths in other years. Most outbreaks in Washington are local, with a variation in cases from county to county. Some areas report a high number of cases and others have none. Find the current number of whooping cough cases in Washington , or the number of whooping cough cases reported in past years.
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When Should My Child Be Vaccinated
Your child needs to be vaccinated at several stages in order to be fully protected. Some vaccines need to be given more than once to build up your child’s immune system.
Immunization schedules could be different depending in which province or territory you live in. This means that some provinces or territories will give the same vaccine at different ages. But don’t worry, your healthcare provider will give you a vaccination schedule that will tell you which vaccines are needed and at what age. Another way to find your child’s immunization schedule is to check Canada.ca/vaccines where the schedule for each province and territory is listed.
Hereâs an example of a typical schedule to be fully protected, your child will be vaccinated starting at birth or age two months, then at four months, six months, between 12 months and 18 months-and also between ages four to six years. Additional vaccinations are needed for school age children.
Is There Still A Whooping Cough Epidemic In Washington
Our statewide case count of 4,918 during the epidemic of 2012 was well above what we expect to see in an average yearâthe highest level since 1941, when 4,960 cases were reported. The pace of new whooping cough cases slowed after the 2012 epidemic, but some communities are beginning to see higher numbers again. Even when the number of cases decreases, it’s important to remember that whooping cough never goes away completely. Getting vaccinated and staying away from others when you are sick are the best ways to slow the spread of whooping cough and protect people at highest risk, like babies and pregnant women. Find the current number of whooping cough cases in Washington , or the number of whooping cough cases reported in past years.
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Q. Re: Daughters privacy: Why not just ask your daughter what she would like you to say or do? Regardless of whether she is straight or hasnt come out, I think it would be appropriate to ask her before speaking for her here.
A: Yes, absolutely! My read is that the letter writer can safely assume she would not want a guy shes never met to join the carpool because he wants to go on a date with her, but certainly check in with her first.
Q. Horrible friend, or am I nuts?: My friend of 20 years lost her job and apartment and needed a place to stay. I let her, her mother, and her three kids come to stay at my home with me, my boyfriend, and our two kids. She was supposed to stay a couple months until she got herself together. For 10 months, she lived off of us, with us footing all her bills. Then she started getting Social Security, about $2,000 per month, on top of her mothers income of about $2,000 per month. I asked her if could she help out with at least her half of the expenses. She was not happy about me asking her for money and felt she shouldnt have to pay anything. She made me feel like a horrible person and told the kids that I hated them and didnt want them at my house all. Am I wrong, or is she the worst friend?
A: Thanks for the tip!
How Do Vaccines Work
The dead or weakened germs in vaccines help your child’s immune system to make two important tools: antibodies and immune memory. Together, these tools will help your child recognize and fight off the germs if exposed to them in the future.
Most children are fully protected after they are vaccinated. This means that they will never get serious vaccine-preventable diseases.
In rare cases, children who are vaccinated can still get the disease because they only get partial protection from the vaccine. This is more common in children with a health problem that affects their immune system. They may develop mild symptoms if they are exposed to a disease, but will not suffer serious complications.
It’s just like… seatbelts are not 100% effective at protecting you while driving, but they significantly reduce your risk of being injured.
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How Long Does The Vaccine For Younger Kids Last
Recent studies show that the whooping cough vaccine for young kids doesn’t last as long as expected, and protection wears off over time. Protection is highâabout 98 percentâwithin the first year after getting the fifth DTaP dose. It goes down to about 70 percent by five years later, and may continue to gradually go down after that.
In the 1990s, the United States switched from DTP vaccine to a new whooping cough vaccine for kids. The new vaccine causes fewer side effects than the old one but protection from DTaP doesn’t last as long as it did for DTP. This may explain why there are more whooping cough cases in older children. Teens today are the first group of kids to get only the newer DTaP vaccine as babies they didn’t get any doses of the old vaccine.
Are There More Cases Of Whooping Cough Than What’s Reported
There are always more cases of whooping cough than what’s reported. Only about one out of every 10 cases gets reported to public health because:
- Sometimes whooping cough is diagnosed as something else.
- Some people have whooping cough without knowing it, so they may not see a doctor and it could go undiagnosed and unreported.
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How Do I Keep Track Of My Child’s Vaccination
You will be given a vaccination record with your child’s recommended schedule at your first clinic visit. If your healthcare provider forgets, be sure to ask for one. It is important to bring this record with you every time you visit a healthcare provider. This is to make sure that it can be updated each time your child receives a vaccine.
Interactions With Unvaccinated People Are Possible
When it comes to people who are not yet vaccinated, its important to consider the risks to your baby and any other high-risk individuals. Your vaccination status as a parent also makes a difference.
The CDC has advised that fully vaccinated people can visit indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 without wearing masks or physical distancing. Multiple unvaccinated households mixing is still not recommended, but if you choose to go this route, there are extra precautions you can take to reduce risk.
In this scenario, visitors could lower risks by quarantining and testing prior to the visit, Jones said. Of course, observing all safety precautions, such as hand hygiene, mask, social distancing, sanitizing surfaces, lowering numbers of visitors, being outside, and excluding anyone who is sick will also help.
Others echoed this advice, stressing the importance of limiting interactions with unvaccinated people to outdoor venues and abiding by social distancing guidelines. This is particularly true with children, who are not eligible to be vaccinated and may be exposed to COVID-19 if theyre attending school or camp.
Unvaccinated visitors should only be seen outdoors, distanced at least 6 feet apart and while they are wearing a mask. Never put a mask on a baby, Friedman said.
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