Most real scientific skeptics, in contrast to pseudoskeptics who ignore evidence to believe whatever fits their view of the world, support vaccinations. In fact, the skeptic community doesn’t just talk about how vaccinations save lives, but they actually practice what they proclaim. Very loudly at times.Read More »Real Skeptics get vaccinated
As mentioned in previous posts, the state of Washington is being hit hard by a whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis) epidemic since the beginning of 2012. As of today, over 2000 cases of pertussis have been reported, nearly a 12-fold increase… Read More »Whooping cough: Washington state surpasses 2,000 cases
Whooping cough patients per county
The New York Times is reporting that the State of Washington has been hit by a whooping cough (pertussis) epidemic that has hit 1,284 individuals in 2012, 10 times the 128 seen at this point in 2011. At this rate, there could be over 3000 cases by the end of 2012. Of those infected so far in 2012, 86 infants (under age of 1 year) required hospitalization, including 19 of whom were under 2 months. Pertussis immunization, with the DTaP vaccine, does not confer full immunity to the child until the third vaccination at 6 months of age, during which the infant is susceptible to catching the disease from adults with lapsed immunity or other children who are not vaccinated. However, even children with the first vaccination have some immunity, so the infection could be milder than in a child without any vaccination.Read More »Whooping cough: Washington State lacks funds to fight epidemic
As discussed previously, the state of Washington is experience a relatively large outbreak of whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis), with 1,132 cases of whooping cough so far in 2012, which the state reports as over 10 times higher than what was reported in 2011. The epidemic has caused the hospitalization of 20 children under the age of one. Washington Governor Christine Gregoire released cash from an emergency fund last week to be spent on efforts to contain the epidemic. Gregoire has made $90,000 available to strengthen the public awareness campaign about the need to vaccinate against the highly infectious disease that is also known as pertussis. The state’s Department of Health projects that it will spend approximately $200,000 on the campaign. The state has also sought and received approval to use federal funds to purchase 27,000 doses of pertussis vaccines that will be available for the uninsured.
Read More »Washington allocates money for whooping cough outbreak
A nine week old Idaho girl died Friday of complications from whooping cough according to Reuters. She was being treated for the disease at a hospital in Pocatello, Idaho; however, her situation worsened, and she was flown to the University… Read More »Idaho infant dies from whooping cough
The Washington State Department of Health has declared a statewide epidemic for whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis). For the first three months of 2012, there have been 640 reported cases of the disease, mostly babies and infants.Read More »State of Washington declares whooping cough epidemic