What to do about pertussis

Whooping cough may pose the biggest threat to infants, but almost anyone can contract it — even adults who were vaccinated against it as a child.

Nonetheless, many adults incorrectly believe that they're immune. This worries state and county health officials. They want all residents — not just those who live with or care for an infant — to be vaccinated against pertussis, a.k.a. whooping cough.

The disease is highly contagious and has already sickened hundreds of infants in California. State health officials declared a statewide epidemic on June 23 and, as of July 30, were reporting 1,300 confirmed cases so far this year, more than four times as many cases as this time last year. Five infants have died of the disease this year, two of those in L.A. County, said Michael Sicilia, assistant deputy director for the California Department of Public Health.


"Because it is an epidemic, you shouldn't just vaccinate those who are most susceptible to the disease. Everyone should get vaccinated, even adults," said Dr. John Talarico, chief of the immunization branch at the California Department of Public Health. "If we reduce the number of people transmitting the disease, then eventually we can reduce the number of people contracting it."

For questions and answers about the disease and who should be vaccinated, see "Whooping cough risks, symptoms and vaccine."

jschwiewe@tribune.com