New state law requires whooping cough vaccine

California is experiencing a widespread outbreak of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. In response to 10 recent pertussis-induced infant deaths, the state implemented a new law that requires all students starting 7-12 grade next year be vaccinated for pertussis before the beginning of the school year. The law applies to all students — new, returning or transferring, studying at public or private school.“You may not attend class if you do not have [the vaccine],” district coordinating nurse Lora Morn said.According to Samo nurse Nora McElvain, students will not be able to pick up their schedules without proof of the vaccination. Parents do have the choice to seek appropriate waivers not to vaccinate their children; acceptable reasons include medical exemption and religious or personal beliefs.However, the district prefers that parents not seek these exemptions unless it is absolutely necessary.“We are not to encourage or [widely] inform of these [exemptions],” Morn said. “We are not supposed to advertise because of the 10 infant deaths. We are trying to prevent infant death.”According to Morn, there was one infant who had a sibling in an Santa Monica-Malibu school that caught whooping cough even though his sibling did not have it. Before two months of age, infants have almost no immunization. They usually get vaccinated at two, four and six months and build immunities from breast milk. Infants who are not vaccinated or breast-fed are the most at risk for whooping cough.“Newborn babies have no immunity at all because they’ve never had a vaccine,” McElvain said.McElvain stresses the importance of vaccinations in order to try and tame the outbreak.“I think it’s important for kids to get vaccinated due to the fact that we have babies dying here in California because of [whooping cough.] Teenagers and young adults are carrying it without knowing and passing it along to the babies and the old people,” McElvain said.McElvain says that students who get regular physicals most likely received the vaccine that provides immunity against pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus at a physical between ages 10 and 12.“I think a lot of students have had the vaccine when they were probably around 10 or 11, but we have never required shot records for that kind of stuff. So I think it’s more for us a matter of getting the parents to bring in the forms from the doctors,” McElvain said. “For the kids who aren’t vaccinated: they can either go to their own doctor or, if they don’t have insurance, we can hook them up at Venice Family Clinic to get the vaccines done.”Eloise GrahamStaff Writeregraham@thesamohi.com