Deadly Whooping Cough, Once Wiped Out, Is Back : NPR - http://www.npr.org/templat...
Aug 16, 2010
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California is in the midst of its worst outbreak of whooping cough in a half-century. More than 2,700 cases have been reported so far this year — eight times last year's number at this point. Seven of the victims, all infants, have died.
- Kelly W.
The California epidemic has raised plenty of questions about the role of vaccination and the increasing numbers of parents who decide not to vaccinate their children. California's Department of Public Health cites three schools in the state where 80 percent of parents have signed a "personal belief exemption" to keep their children from being vaccinated.
- Kelly W.
In fact, Karp estimates that 75 percent to 90 percent of whooping cough cases occur in teenagers and adults, for whom it is not deadly. Most adults may experience only a lingering cough. The danger occurs when adults and teenagers — whose immunity wanes around 12 years old — contract whooping cough and unwittingly give it to infants.
- Kelly W.
Someone at the wife's job had this and kept bringing her dumb ass back to work just to be put out again by her boss, who did so wearing a mask. Never mind that my wife sits like 6ft away and didn't even know what was going on until later.
- Rahsheen