Comments on: Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Cases Vault Past Epidemic Threshold in Washington State http://thesunbreak.com/2012/03/29/whooping-cough-pertussis-cases-vault-past-epidemic-threshhold-in-washington-state/ Curious Georges in a conversation with Seattle Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:07:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Audrey http://thesunbreak.com/2012/03/29/whooping-cough-pertussis-cases-vault-past-epidemic-threshhold-in-washington-state/#comment-104820 Audrey Fri, 11 May 2012 22:31:02 +0000 http://thesunbreak.com/?p=886946#comment-104820 Cosign on that last clause. Cosign on that last clause.

]]> By: MMH http://thesunbreak.com/2012/03/29/whooping-cough-pertussis-cases-vault-past-epidemic-threshhold-in-washington-state/#comment-104817 MMH Fri, 11 May 2012 17:23:16 +0000 http://thesunbreak.com/?p=886946#comment-104817 Michael- It's not that parent's are shoving their babies at people- It's that people see a baby and just have to go up to the child. My toddler niece was coughed all over by some weirdo lady downtown early last year. She got very sick and they could not figure out what it was. It is easy to avoid crowds if you know how to do it properly and "close public contact" as well. There are many of us who value Education on such things versus just getting a vaccination. So many people think that vaccinations will save them, but they do not- hence the usage of antibiotics. Personally, I wish people were smarter than to spread their germs, but stupidity is still alive and well. Michael- It’s not that parent’s are shoving their babies at people- It’s that people see a baby and just have to go up to the child. My toddler niece was coughed all over by some weirdo lady downtown early last year. She got very sick and they could not figure out what it was. It is easy to avoid crowds if you know how to do it properly and “close public contact” as well.

There are many of us who value Education on such things versus just getting a vaccination. So many people think that vaccinations will save them, but they do not- hence the usage of antibiotics. Personally, I wish people were smarter than to spread their germs, but stupidity is still alive and well.

]]> By: Michael van Baker http://thesunbreak.com/2012/03/29/whooping-cough-pertussis-cases-vault-past-epidemic-threshhold-in-washington-state/#comment-100447 Michael van Baker Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:10:22 +0000 http://thesunbreak.com/?p=886946#comment-100447 Kit, are you really sure there are a tremendous amount of parents out there who are shoving their infants at people who are coughing? It's good advice, agreed, but I think that people who can take it, are already taking it. The problem is that not everyone can "avoid crowds" and "close public contact." You elide the whole problem of the current, more frequent epidemic-rate outbreaks of pertussis. As an adult who contracted pertussis, and coughed so hard my throat closed, I too would prefer that there be no "need" for an antibiotics course. Vaccination would help. Kit, are you really sure there are a tremendous amount of parents out there who are shoving their infants at people who are coughing? It’s good advice, agreed, but I think that people who can take it, are already taking it. The problem is that not everyone can “avoid crowds” and “close public contact.” You elide the whole problem of the current, more frequent epidemic-rate outbreaks of pertussis. As an adult who contracted pertussis, and coughed so hard my throat closed, I too would prefer that there be no “need” for an antibiotics course. Vaccination would help.

]]> By: Kit http://thesunbreak.com/2012/03/29/whooping-cough-pertussis-cases-vault-past-epidemic-threshhold-in-washington-state/#comment-100418 Kit Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:20:39 +0000 http://thesunbreak.com/?p=886946#comment-100418 This article skims over a few important details. Pertussis is mostly dangerous for young infants. People older than say 5 or 6 get it, but rarely even know that it's pertussis, and they have no need for the "treatment" that the article mentions. Unfortunately, vaccinating infants does not protect them much when they are most vulnerable, because the vaccinated immunity doesn't kick in very much until they are maybe a half year old. Given the above, it seems a sensible public health campaign would include two very inexpensive public measures which do not involve vaccinating everybody every 5 years: 1) Educate the public to be careful in keeping coughs away from babies and their caregivers. 2) Caregivers and babies should take care to avoid crowds and close public contact until the baby is at least a few months old, to allow the young immune system to develop before it is potentially exposed to pertussis. In fact, this idea is very common in traditional cultures. This article skims over a few important details.
Pertussis is mostly dangerous for young infants.
People older than say 5 or 6 get it, but rarely even know that it’s pertussis, and they have no need for the “treatment” that the article mentions.
Unfortunately, vaccinating infants does not protect them much when they are most vulnerable, because the vaccinated immunity doesn’t kick in very much until they are maybe a half year old.
Given the above, it seems a sensible public health campaign would include two very inexpensive public measures which do not involve vaccinating everybody every 5 years:
1) Educate the public to be careful in keeping coughs away from babies and their caregivers.
2) Caregivers and babies should take care to avoid crowds and close public contact until the baby is at least a few months old, to allow the young immune system to develop before it is potentially exposed to pertussis. In fact, this idea is very common in traditional cultures.

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