Amador County – A new state law requires all California public and private school students in seventh to 12th grades to be immunized against pertussis, commonly known as “Whooping Cough,” before they start school this fall.

Amador County Unified School District officials expect this to impact at least 2,000 students within the district. Amador County Public Health and Sutter Amador Hospital advise parents and guardians to contact their primary care provider now to “avoid the rush” since the law takes effect on July 1.

County Public Health announced the requirement Thursday, saying “state lawmakers passed the new policy after California experienced the highest increase in Whooping Cough cases since 1947. Last year, 10 infants died from the disease and more than 8,600 people were infected in the state.

The new immunization requirement can be met if the child receives one dose of the Tdap “tetanus/pertussis” vaccine on or after their 7th birthday.

Amador County Health Officer Dr. Robert Hartmann said the health department expects “the number of students who will need a pertussis vaccine this year to be much greater than previous years,” and he urged people not to wait. He said: “Ask your healthcare provider to vaccinate your child now and take the documentation to your school before the end of the school year.”

All students entering 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades – current, new, and transfers – in public and private schools will need to show proof of the vaccination before starting school in August. A copy of the immunization verification form can be found on the Amador County Public Health website.

Dr. David Stone, a pediatrician at Sutter Amador Hospital said: “Re-immunizing your loved one this year will not only protect your child but also scores of infants in the community who do not have the ability to fight off this very serious infection.”

Amador County Public Health officials have confirmed four new whooping cough cases reported in the county in early February. Pertussis is a lung infection that causes severe coughing fits, can have symptoms last for months and can be fatal, especially in young infants.

The immunity received in early childhood wears off over time, leaving older students and adults unprotected. Immunization with Tdap can protect students, schools and communities against whooping cough.

The child’s primary health care provider is the best resource to receive and document the pertussis vaccine. Other resources in the community include Amador County Public Health and some local pharmacies.

For clinic information call 223-6407.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.