Belinda Johnson-Cornett
Osceola County Health Department

Parents, as you prepare your child’s back to school checklist, do not forget their back to school immunizations.

Your vaccination decisions affect your child’s risk for catching a vaccine-preventable disease such as; pertussis (whooping cough), measles and chicken pox.  In addition, children who are not immunized can transmit vaccine-preventable diseases to others, including younger siblings.

Reported cases of pertussis are at their highest level in 50 years, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of July 19, 2012.  

Pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough, is caused by bacteria that is found in the mouth, nose and throat of an infected person, and is spread through close contact when an infected person talks, sneezes, or coughs. It can start out like the common cold, but can be a very serious infection, particularly for infants under the age of one, who are too young to complete the full vaccination series. The person infected with pertussis will have symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, fever and a mild cough, followed by severe or violent coughing, often with a characteristic whooping sound. This is a high-pitched noise heard when taking a breath after coughing spells.

The vaccine for pertussis, known as DTaP, should be given to all children as a series at ages 2, 4, and 6 months, 15-18 months, and 4-6 years, according to the CDC. An additional booster, known as TDaP, is needed at age 11-12.

Health officials recommend that all adults who have not been vaccinated against pertussis should receive the TDaP vaccine, especially pregnant women and those who will have contact with babies. Pertussis outbreaks generally occur in peaks and waves. Even with vaccination, immunity tends to wane over time.

All persons should practice good hygiene, such as covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, disposing of soiled tissues, not sharing utensils, glasses, or toothbrushes and washing hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.

These practices help to reduce the spread of many bacteria, viruses or other germs.

The Osceola County Health Department participates in the VFC program (Vaccine for Children).This program was introduced in 1994 by the CDC. The program is designed to help protect all children against vaccine preventable infectious diseases and to ensure that the ability to pay is not a barrier to receiving the vaccines that are needed to protect the health of children and the community. Several local physicians also participate in this program; your child’s physician may be one of them.

Please call your physician’s office to make an appointment for your child’s back to school immunizations.  Or you may call the Osceola County Health Department at 407-343-2066 for an appointment and more information regarding Back to School vaccines.

Let’s work together to keep our children healthy and our community safe!

Belinda Johnson-Cornett, MS, RN-BC, MBA, is the Osceola County Health Department administrator.