A recent rash of whooping cough has worried health officials on Hawaii Island.
So far, 11 people have been infected with pertussis since March. A concerning level of illnesses of a once defunct illness has raised alarm bells in the tropical state.
Hawaii Island Confirms Cases of Pertussis
Although only a relatively small number of people have contracted the illness, officials are concerned that virus can spread rapidly.
The amount of cases are especially concerning due to the preventability of whooping cough.
Most of Illnesses Recorded in Infants
Since newborns and infants are too young to receive their full immunizations, they are often the ones that become the most sick with preventable illnesses.
Officials have noted that the cases appear to be spread through the community. However, it’s unclear whether the sickness came from locals or tourists.
Parents Are Recommended To Stay up to Date on Vaccinations
Now that the illness is on the rise, officials have warned that parents need to take precautions with their children’s immunizations.
As anti-vaccination movements are on the rise, more children will continue to become infected with the illness.
What Is Whooping Cough?
The illness commonly known as whooping cough is made up of the Bordetella pertussis virus.
The highly contagious respiratory infection is caused by bacteria jumping from one host to another. Usually, coughing or sneezing is enough to spread the virus.
Symptoms To Watch Out For
The illness is easily identified by the “whooping” sound that the infected makes when breathing in.
Other symptoms include severe coughing fits, vomiting, and exhaustion during the illness.
Whooping Cough Was Once Eradicated
The illness caused by bacteria Bordetella pertussis surged in cases during the 1940s. During that time, the U.S. started programs for widespread vaccinations.
The illness soon became as good as extinct in America with a drastic decrease in cases.
New Resurgence Had Lead to Several Deaths
The past two decades have shown a movement for people to forgo vaccines altogether.
Because of the fad, whooping cough has had a deadly surge in viral infections. In 2016, more than 15,000 people were infected with the illness, resulting in 7 deaths.
Concerns About Spreading the Illness in Hospitals
Since young children are easily infected by the disease, many officials warn that new hospital admissions will spread the virus like wildfire.
The illness can prove fatal for babies and young kids, so the need to keep it out of hospitals and maternity wards is of great importance.
Common Sickness in Schools
The importance of having young children immunized helps to protect them in school if a classmate happens to come in with the sickness.
Viruses are spread easily in a school environment where large groups of kids gather and interact on a daily basis.
Three Major Illnesses Were Combined in 1948
During a surge of scientific innovation in the mid 19th century, the whooping cough, diphtheria, and tetanus vaccines were combined into one major vaccine commonly referred to as the DTP immunization.
Since then, the vaccine has changed slightly but has caused the prevalence of the virus to drop from 200,000 cases annually to about 5,000.
Vaccines Save Lives
Over the past 50 years, modern medicine and the advancement of vaccines have saved about 154 million lives.
The majority of those lives, about 101 million, were infants. Since newborn babies are too young to develop their immune system, they can become deathly ill with common viruses.
