POLIO ERADICATION IS WITHIN REACH: HERE’S WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO GET THERE

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We’re in the last mile in the fight to eradicate polio, but progress is fragile. As long as the disease is a threat anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere. A look at how UNICEF and partners are working to reach every child with lifesaving polio vaccines.

There is no cure for polio, only prevention

Since the introduction of the first polio vaccine in the 1950s, fully vaccinated children have been protected from the dangerous viral illness that attacks the nervous system, causing paralysis and sometimes death. 

Today, polio is on the brink of eradication, but conflict, climate disasters, displacement and vaccine misinformation are hindering efforts to reach some of the world’s most marginalized children with lifesaving vaccines.

Read more at UNICEF USA.

The insidious US measles resurgence should terrify us all

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For most Americans, measles is an unfamiliar threat. If you’re my age, you might remember getting it as a kid — the mild annoyance of lying in a dark room, protecting your sensitive eyes and trying not to scratch your rash.

But here’s a more recent measles story, one of many I experienced throughout my 45-year nursing career. 

A 9-month-old boy lies unconscious on a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU). He had traveled with his family to Kenya to meet his grandparents. He is the youngest sibling and the only one who didn’t get his measles vaccines. Now his mom sits by his hospital bed, watching a machine breathe for her baby. 

Read more at The Hill.

Whooping Cough: What Is It? Who’s Most at Risk? Who Needs to Be Vaccinated?

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News headlines showcasing outbreaks of infectious diseases are all too common these days. During the pandemic, many families missed routine medical appointments. That meant people weren’t getting routine vaccines. That, combined with a loud minority of folks working against science and vaccines, means we have many communities of people at risk. It’s easy to think the diseases we vaccinate for are a thing of the past. The reality is that they’re not. Those diseases still exist and when we don’t vaccinate, we create opportunities for them to spread. While measles is among the most feared vaccine-preventable diseases and seems to dominate today’s headlines, there are other serious diseases we can’t let our guard down against. Today, we highlight whooping cough. We explain what it is, who is most at risk, and who needs to be vaccinated (hint: nearly all of us).

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a serious highly infectious disease. It is caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria and is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Outbreaks can occur in school or child care settings and areas with a concentration of unvaccinated people. Whooping cough is common in the U.S.

Symptoms appear 7 – 14 days after infection and can last  6 – 10 weeks. While whooping cough may start as a simple cold, it progresses to cause uncontrollable coughing spells. Whooping cough is marked by the “whoop” sound that is made following coughing when an infected person inhales. Whooping cough can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and even death. We’re lucky to live in a time when we have a vaccine to protect against whooping cough!

Who is most at risk for severe infection?

While whooping cough can affect people of all ages, it can be deadly for infants and young children. Some infants who get whooping cough will not cough at all. Instead, they will stop breathing and turn blue. About one third of babies who get whooping cough will be hospitalized. One in five will contract pneumonia and one in 100 will die. 

Infants cannot be vaccinated until two months of age. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends pregnant people receive the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine during the third trimester of each pregnancy. By getting vaccinated while pregnant, antibodies are passed to the infant who will then be protected for the first few months of life. The CDC also recommends surrounding babies with protection by ensuring those around them are up to date with whooping cough vaccines. This practice is also known as “cocooning.”

While complications are worse in infants and very young children, whooping cough can be serious for other populations as well. This includes pregnant people. Coughs from the disease can cause people to vomit, lose control of their bladder, faint, and even fracture ribs. Cases of whooping cough in adolescents and adults are likely under-reported because their symptoms are milder.

Who should be vaccinated for whooping cough?

While whooping cough is treated with antibiotics, there are vaccines to help prevent it. Everyone should be vaccinated for whooping cough. (Those who have had allergic reactions to previous pertussis vaccines or who have certain health conditions may not be able to be vaccinated.) The DTaP and Tdap vaccines protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). Infants should get a dose of the DTaP vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 – 18 months, and between 4 and 6 years of age. Adolescents need the Tdap vaccine between 11 and 12 years old. In Colorado, the final dose of the DTaP vaccine is required before kindergarten entry, and the Tdap vaccine is required before entry into 6th grade. Adults should get the Tdap vaccine if they’ve never received it. A booster dose of Tdap should be given every 10 years to maintain protection.

It’s important to note that you can still get whooping cough even if you’ve been vaccinated. No vaccine is 100% effective. However, vaccinated people usually have much milder infections than unvaccinated people.

Vaccination is not something we do solely for ourselves. When we vaccinate, we help stop the spread of dangerous diseases and protect those in our communities who are most vulnerable, like infants too young to get a whooping cough vaccine. When enough of us are vaccinated, we won’t see any more headlines with outbreaks of preventable disease.

Immunize Colorado was formed in 1991 in response to alarmingly low vaccination rates across the state. At the time, only about 50% of Colorado’s children were adequately vaccinated. A group of physicians and other concerned individuals came together to strategize how to protect Coloradans from vaccine-preventable diseases and increase vaccine uptake. Much work remains. Discover ways to support our commitment to healthy Colorado communities at our website or make a donation today!

With whooping cough cases on the rise, do you need a booster vaccine?

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As whooping cough cases are surging globally, some may wonder if it’s necessary to get a booster.

Cases of the childhood respiratory disease also known as pertussis are surging internationally and in parts of the U.S., according to a recent report.

Bordetella pertussis is a type of bacteria that causes a very contagious respiratory infection that spreads from person to person through small respiratory droplets, per the CDC.

Read more at Fox News.

Whooping cough rising sharply in some countries. Why you may need a booster.

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Whooping cough outbreaks in Europe, Asia and parts of the U.S. should be a reminder to get vaccinated, experts say.

Since January, cases of whooping cough have risen sharply in the U.K. and Europe, the largest surge since 2012.

China logged more than 15,000 cases in January of this year, a 15-fold increase over the same time period last year. This month there have been small clusters of reported cases among high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area and several isolated cases in Hawaii. From October through earlier this year, New York City went through an outbreak, with more than 200 cases of mostly young children.

Read more at NBC.

As measles cases rise, Colorado notifies families of 75K kids about MMR vaccine

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With a resurgence of measles cases happening across the country, Colorado health officials sent emails and text messages to the families of 75,000 kids ages 4 to 6 whose records show they may be overdue for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

The goal is to increase MMR vaccination rates and prevent an outbreak.

“We’ve seen more cases of measles already in the U.S. this year than we saw last year, and it’s only the beginning of the year,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said. “So we know that things have shifted and there’s more cases of measles happening right now.”

Read more at Fox 31.

U.S. Declared Measles Gone in 2000 — New Outbreaks May Change That

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A surge in measles cases is threatening the United States’ elimination status, which it has held for more than 20 years.

The US has experienced 338 reported cases of measles between January 1, 2020 and March 28, 2024, according to the CDCTrusted Source. Nearly one-third of those cases (29%) occurred during the first quarter of 2024, representing a 17-fold increase over the average number of cases reported during the same time period between 2020-2023.

Measles is a viral infection that affects the respiratory system and causes a distinct rash. The disease is also highly contagious.

Read more at Healthline.

School Vaccine Mandates Key to Preventing Measles, Other Preventable Diseases

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The U.S. public health laws that require vaccination before entering school have prevented considerable pediatric morbidity and mortality, and yet, they are being eroded, according to public health experts and pediatricians.

In 1981, all 50 states had vaccine mandates for school entry with few exceptions. As of 2019, all 50 states still required some vaccination for school entry, but not necessarily all the CDC-recommended childhood vaccines. However, 29 allowed medical or religious exemptions; 17 allowed medical, religious or “philosophical” exemptions; and some did not require vaccination for homeschooled children, according to the latest report by the CDC’s Public Health Law Program (bit.ly/4amqKmk-IDSE). In addition, the documentation required to obtain an exemption varied by state.

These exemptions mean more parents can send their unvaccinated children to day care or school, endangering people in their communities.

Read more at Infectious Disease Special Edition.

No link between COVID vaccine, cardiac arrest in young people, new CDC study finds

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new data addressing the link, or lack thereof, between the COVID-19 vaccine and sudden cardiac death in otherwise healthy young adults.

The assessment, conducted between June 2021 and December 2022, investigated the death certificates and vaccination records of 1,292 Oregon decedents aged between 16 and 30 who had died of “cardiac or undetermined” causes.

“The data do not support an association of COVID-19 vaccination with sudden cardiac death among previously healthy young persons,” determined the CDC. The vaccine is still recommended for everyone aged over 6 months.

Read more at USA Today.

Here’s what the return of measles really means

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Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Pediatricians and public health official have sounded the alarm on declining vaccination rates — and the return of the diseases they prevent — for more than two decades. Measles, a once-controlled illness is now present in 17 states.

Recently release data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the United States is on pace for about 400 measles cases this year. (There have been nine cases in Florida’s Broward County this year — largely linked to local spread among kids at Manatee Bay Elementary.) The national number will surpass the total number of cases in the last four years. Not since the 2019 outbreak (more than 1,200 cases) in New York or the 2014 outbreak at Disneyland in California have more children been infected. Together, these three outbreaks threaten the America’s status as a measles-free nation.

Read more at Tampa Bay Times.

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