Pertussis cases keep rising, and one woman's story resonates more than ever

Those whooping cough numbers are stretching ever higher in California.

State health officials reported Thursday that the state has seen a threefold increase over this time last year. Check out the L.A. Now post here.

Lest you think adults vaccinated as children can't get whooping cough, lest you think they can't pass it on to their infants, lest you think those infants can't die, read Mariah Bianchi's story.

She was vaccinated as a child against whooping cough. She passed it to her infant son, Dylan. He died of the disease, also called pertussis, when he was 17 days old.

Here's more on whooping cough from KidsHealth. And here's information on whooping cough vaccination for infants -- and adults -- from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As the CDC notes:

"Infants under the age of 12 months have more serious illness from pertussis and they are more likely to have complications and be hospitalized than persons in other age groups. In the 1990s, about two thirds of infants reported with pertussis were hospitalized. Infants are more likely to have pneumonia or convulsions. Infants also are at greatest risk of fatal pertussis. In recent years, 8 to 40 infant deaths from pertussis are reported to CDC annually."

In other words, they can't protect themselves; we have to do it for them.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Mariah Bianchi holds a pendant with an image of Dylan's handprint.

Credit: Robert Durell / For the Times

Comments

[AM]

One aspect of this epidemic that is not noted in your article is the rise in vaccination refusal by parents. Pertussis, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases are also resurfacing because of the rise in parents who refuse these vaccines for their children. Not only do they put their own children at risk (and the risk of the disease is much worse than the minor risks of the vaccine), but they put fragile newborns who have not yet been fully vaccinated at risk. Vaccination is a social as well as a personal responsibility.

[Terry Turkovich]

I'm from pennsylvania and have been diagnosed with pertussis via bloodwork. I have been on Bactrim for a month and a half. Retested blood work last week - show I still have it although I am not coughing anymore.

[crystal]

oh of course previous poster... pay no attention to the fact that we're seeing and increase since they started "cocooning"... or the rotarix vacc. recall.. or that our children now get at least twice the amount of vaccines that we did as children and three times as many as our parents did... Do you know what is in a vaccine or how many vaccine related deaths there have been in the last year? Pay no attention to all of that... run out and vaccinate those children because the gov. and your highly paid doctor said so!! oh and don't forget the baised media ;) =)

[Robyn]

the 17 day old baby would never be vaccinated. so in this case, it's not an issue of a parent deciding not to vaccinate their child. it's more complicated than that. in this case, the mother had pertussis. the traditional and contempory prevention technique would have been that she needed her booster shot vaccination -- HOWEVER, she would not have needed that booster had she not been vaccinated as a child in the first place and had, instead, gotten the disease. that would have given her much better immunity and not only would she likely not have gotten sick, if she were breast-feeding, she would be able to pass the anti-bodies on to her child.... so... the efficacy of vaccinations rages on and cannot be over-simplified.

[w]

Just as you would put a seat belt or bike helmet on your child or yourself, you should also vaccinate! Adults get pertussis, but they don't feel as sick as young kids do. Infants have very small airways, and pertussis leads to apnea, pneumonia, seizures and death in some cases. Breast feeding is very healthful, but it is not enough. The mom must be immune to be able to pass some antibodies. Vaccines prevent pertussis, but vaccines wear off, and natural immunity is not guaranteed. A booster is needed for adults. Adults and children who are around babies should be vaccinated for their own health and to protect babies. Vaccines work with your immune system, and they are safe. Babies die from pertussis disease every year, yet the deaths could be prevented! Vaccines are extensively tested, and they are evaluated continuously. Today's vaccines have fewer ingredients and fewer antigens than years ago. If you take every recommended vaccine, you get less than you would have with only one shot 50 years ago. TAKE VACCINES WITHOUT FEAR. Fear should be saved for the killer diseases, not the vaccines. The diseases have not gone away, and the cost of misplaced fears (or lack of trust in your doctor or nurse's advice to vaccinate) is an ill baby, missed work, hospital bills, and perhaps worst of all, bereavement. Sadly, this results from ignorance about vaccine safety and the reality of disease. If you don't feel qualified to understand science, at least trust educated licensed health professionals, not the ignorant opinions and feelings that are lack knowledge of facts. Health care workers strive to prevent disease and to save sick babies who get pertussis and other vaccine preventable diseases.