Worries About Whooping Cough Still Exist

Californians for Patient Care reminds parents that worries about whooping cough still exist and encourages them to take action now. Because of the record number of whooping cough cases in California last year - more than 7,800 - starting this fall, all students attending grades 7-12 will be required to be immunized against whooping cough. Instead of waiting until the last minute, parents should plan to get their children's whooping cough immunization/booster and present it to school administrators as early as possible.



According to the California Department of Public Health, last year, California suffered from one of its worst whooping cough years in decades. Whooping cough can be difficult to detect, which can allow it to 'live' longer in a household, neighborhood or community. And the issue is often compounded for those without insurance.



"For people without insurance, sometimes the question isn't how quickly whooping cough can be detected, but whether or not they can afford treatment," said Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for Patient Care. "Every Californian should know that there is a local network of care providers who charge little or no money for treatment. We encourage people to use our MyHealthResource online guide to find places where they can get the care they need - including whooping cough vaccinations and boosters - when they need it."



People can access the MyHealthResource guide by clicking on the blue button here. After typing in basic search information such as city or county and category of resource, Californians can find a comprehensive list of local healthcare providers that provide primary, dental and mental healthcare services to the uninsured and underinsured, some of which may be offering pertussis/whooping cough immunizations.



Along with information on local healthcare service providers, Californians for Patient Care also provides information on chronic disease management, how to shop for health insurance, information on new research studies and links to helpful organizations and websites.



"Every parent wants their child to be safe and healthy and vaccinations can help with that," said Gutierrez. "In fact, parents and other caregivers - who can sometimes serve as 'carriers' of whooping cough - should consider getting vaccinated, if they haven't been already. Remember, whatever your financial circumstances are, there are local healthcare providers able to get you the vaccinations you need, when you need them."



Source:

Californians for Patient Care

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