A case of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been reported on Martha’s Vineyard.
The Inter-Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative, made up of Island health boards, issued a release on Tuesday stating that an Island resident was diagnosed. Where on the Island was not disclosed in the announcement.
The release notes that whooping cough is a “highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that can be dangerous, especially to young children.” Those who are most at risk are infants and women in late-term pregnancy, who can pass it on to their newborns. Individuals with other health conditions that could be exacerbated by a “respiratory bacterial infection” may also have more severe illness.
In older children, teens, and adults, symptoms of whooping cough can be “miserable,” and last for weeks or months, but risk for “critical illness” is usually low.
Whooping cough starts with symptoms that “mimic the common cold, including runny nose, sneezing, and mild cough.” The severe coughing fits are where whooping cough gets its name. Infected people can cough “so intensely that they gasp to catch their breath, and whoop,” which can last up to six weeks before conditions gradually improve, the health boards state.
If caught early, whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, which can prevent the disease altogether. Health officials recommend individuals who have been exposed or have symptoms call their doctor.
The collaborative recommends that “symptomatic close contacts” should be treated, and avoid going to work or school until they have completed five days of treatment.
The best way to protect against whooping cough is vaccines, the release states.
Healthcare providers are required to report whooping cough cases to public health authorities under state law. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has noted in August that it has seen a rise in pertussis compared with the past few years.
“With pertussis, public health will identify exposed contacts, and urge them to seek preventive care,” the release states.
Para obter informações sobre coqueluche em Português, visite mvtimes.com/mvt/uploads/2024/11/pertussis-pt.pdf. Se precisa de ajuda para entrar em contato com um médico, pode ligar para Fernando Lana em 774-310-0224.
Vaccines work.
My parents “selectively vaccined” me in the early 80s, and decided for whatever reason not to give me the pertussis vaccine. When I was 14 years old I got whooping cough. For months I coughed and coughed until I could barely breathe. I would cough so long and hard that I would regularly vomit whatever contents were in my stomach.
Vaccines work.
Theo, appreciate you sharing your experience. Thank you.
Nothing to see here… move on!
So, you are pro Whooping cough? Weird stance, dude.
No Nestor, my comment is that the vineyard has it head in the sand and is ignoring bigger problems…
Carl –Like climate change ?
You know Carl– You may not think whooping cough is
much of an issue until you watch your child or grandchild
suffer through it.
I can’t imagine the guilt a parent must feel to watch their
child that they love suffer through such an unnecessary but
likely not fatal disease.
Of course, I don’t know– maybe the person who has this
was fully vaccinated against it and god just decided to
punish one of the parents for something they did when they
were a child. Even worser guilt if that’s the case—
Or maybe the parents will have an even harder
line against vaccinations and simply blame Biden or Harris,
or “the dems” — no worry —-trump will not allow god to
give this disease to any more children when he once again
ASSumes the throne.
But whatever–lets all just offer thoughts and prayers– hopefully
to the right god and with enough sincerity.
I’ll eat some Pasta and think about this unfortunate
person.
Don,
Interesting that you bring up climate change sine you have stated that you heat your home 70% of the time with firewood. Not the most environmentally friendly way to heat a building.
My original comment is more about the island burying their head in the sand as big city problems are manifesting themselves on the island. For the sake of being censored yet again I’ll leave my comment at that. A further factually detailed post didn’t make it but was all true.
What ae the bigger problems?
Fear?
Vaccines work.
Why did the conservatives lie about vaccines during covid? Such a tragedy.
Mary,
The way you phrase your question indicates that you likely do not understand the difference between traditional vaccines and mRNA transfections.
John, I’m not a vaccine expert, yet I think I understand enough to know the vaccine saved millions of lives.
We can expect to see alot more cases once RFK Jr is in charge of public health…
We are now entering the origin story portion of the planet of the apes
So— was this person vaccinated against this disease ?
It’s impolite to ask.
Well, we’re all in for a real treat when that crackpot RFK Jr becomes the head of DHHS. “Make polio great again”. We are truly living in the dumbest of times.
I will ask what a lot of people are thinking:
Is this person an immigrant to our island?
Did this person recently travel to another country?
Or is this person native to our country and acquired the disease locally?
It would be nice to know these things to eliminate some of the concerns that people have in their heads but are just not asking aloud.
I will ask one more of my own: Will the MVtimes publish this comment or will they censor it like the other 80% of the comments I submit? It’s nice to see them begging to support local journalism while they regularly refuse to publish my polite and properly written comments.
Bill, I’m shocked this comment made it and I applaud you for it. How can you have an open honest debate if only one side is heard?
Comments are closed.