The number of pertussis cases continued to climb this week in San Diego County, and in California, whooping cough has been declared an epidemic.
Seven new cases have been reported this week, raising the overall number for this year to 667, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
By comparison, last year only saw a total of 431 cases all year.
Statewide, the trends are similar. Nearly 3,500 cases have been reported to the California Department of Public Health.
Health officials say the last whooping cough peak was in 2010, and they believe another peak is underway.
The main priority for health officials is preventing serious disease and death in infants. As for vaccination, young children need five doses of DTaP by kindergarten and a Tdap booster is recommended for pregnant women during their third trimester.
For more information about whooping cough and ongoing vaccination clinics, call the HHSA Immunization Branch at (866) 358-2966, or visit www.sdiz.org.
All of the new pertussis cases reported at the following locations were up-to-date for their age on immunizations, except for the cases noted:
- An 11-year-old who was not up-to-date with immunizations at Wangenheim Middle School in the San Diego Unified School District.
- An 11-year-old who was not up-to-date with immunizations at Meridian Elementary School in the Cajon Valley Union School District.
- A 12-year-old at Pershing Middle School in the San Diego Unified School District.
- A 14-year-old at Twin Peaks Middle School in the Poway Unified School District.
- A 16-year-old at Charter School of San Diego.
- A 16-year-old at Santana High School in the Grossmont Union High School District.
- An individual at Tierra Bonita Elementary School in the Poway Unified School District.
