Seventh-graders now required to get whooping cough vaccination

  BY SETH ROY
Advocate Reporter

NEWARK -- A recent increase in whooping cough -- pertussis -- in Ohio has led to a new vaccination requirement for this fall's seventh-grade students.

State cases almost doubled from 628 in 2008 to 1,096 in 2009, and local health officials say there likely were more than that.

"They used to say, for every case that's reported, there's 10 more that aren't," said Nancy Hanger, nursing director with the Licking County Health Department.

Health officials don't have an explanation for the rise of pertussis. Licking County Health Commissioner Joe Ebel said the vaccination younger children take has been weakened because of side effects.



"Normally their last dose of that is before they start kindergarten," he said. "Sometimes we're seeing those vaccinated kids still getting sick with it. While the (new) vaccinations are better tolerated, maybe it's not as effective as the older style."

While seventh-graders are receiving their new pertussis shots -- available at the health department or from physicians -- Ebel said they also should consider getting other vaccinations including a second chicken pox shot, as well as HPV, meningitis and Hepatitis A and B vaccinations, if they don't already have them.

"It protects the girls if they get vaccinated. It protects the boys from becoming infected with it," Ebel said of HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer. "It can kind of break the chain of infection."

The second dose of the chicken pox vaccination now is a requirement for students entering kindergarten, as well. Other incoming kindergartners need to already have taken their fifth dose of Dtap -- diptheria, tetanus and pertussis -- vaccine, fourth dose of polio vaccine and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

"If they've been keeping up on going to the doctor, they would have had that," Ebel said.

The health department has immunization clinics Mondays through Thursdays throughout the summer, and also has planned for evening back-to-school clinics from 5 to 7:30 p.m. every Thursday in August for anybody who still needs vaccinations.

"We strongly encourage parents to bring their kids in before August," Hanger said.

Schools also will keep track of student vaccinations, which usually leads to a flood of students visiting the health department shortly after school starts for the year.

"Usually within two weeks of school, we get another surge of kids who say, 'We can't go to school until we get this shot,'" Hanger said.