ADPH requires students "whooping cough" vaccine

Department of Public Health requires students to get vaccines before ‘12/’13 school year

The Alabama Department of Public Health released a statement on Monday, July 2, which says students must have a vaccine to protect against pertussis.

Commonly known as whooping cough, pertussis is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal bacteria disease.  Over the past decade diagnosis of the condition has risen to “alarming rates” according to the ADPH. 

All students 11 years and older entering the sixth grade are required to have a tenanus-diphtheria-accellular pertussis vaccine.  All students including those 11 years or older entering the 6^th, 7^th or 8^th grades are required to have an up-to-date certificate of immunization.

The vaccine helps to protect children from the disease and the spreading to members of one’s family, as well as fellow students and school staff.  The Tdap school requirement will go up by one higher grade each school year from here on out.

“Adolescents have one of the highest rates of pertussis cases,” said Winkler Sims, director of the Immunization Division of the Alabama Department of Public Health.  “The sixth through eighth grade requirement for students age 11 or older will protect students from pertussis at the adolescent age in school and through the remainder of their school experience.”

In 2010 there were 205 reported cases of pertussis in Alabama.  133 cases were reported in the state during 2011.  Already this year there have been 69 reported cases.  While the number of reported cases of pertussis has decreased over the past few years, there continues to be major concern.

Petussis is a bacterial infection of the lungs and spreads from person to person through moisture droplets in the air (occurring from coughs or sneezes).  A person with pertussis develops a severe cough that usually lasts four to six weeks or longer.

For more information about the vaccination contact your local health department.