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Booster shots for whooping
cough given to students and teachers
Thursday, November 15, 2007 CANDY BROOKS The first rounds of shots in the war against pertussis were given at Thomas Worthington High School last Friday, with the next rounds were scheduled for Wednesday at Worthington Kilbourne and at the Worthington Education Center (WEC). Both students and teachers are being vaccinated against pertussis, better known as whopping cough, which broke out in Worthington schools about four weeks ago. As of Monday, there were 55 confirmed cases. Most were students at the high schools, though there were also cases at Evening Street, Wilson Hill, and Worthington Park elementary schools and a few among teachers and staff. No cases have been confirmed at any Worthington middle school. One case was reported at the WEC, the district's administrative headquarters. At Thomas Worthington last Friday, 123 students received the pertussis booster shots. Fifty-five were signed up to receive the shots at Kilbourne high school on Wednesday, though the number receiving shots could be higher. The students' vaccines were supplied and administered by the Columbus Health Department and Nationwide Children's Hospital. The CVS Minute Clinic and Westerville Family Physicians are working with the school administration to provide boosters to teachers and staff. Three-hundred-thirty staff signed up for the shots, and 181 received them at Thomas Worthington on Monday. More booster shots were to be given to staff at the Worthington Education Center, 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road, on Wednesday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Columbus Public Health and Worthington schools officials continue to urge parents to have their teenaged children vaccinated. The whooping cough vaccination is generally given to infants and to children entering kindergarten. Effectiveness begins to wane after age 11. Vaccines to protect adolescents from pertussis have only become available in the past two years, so most teens are not protected. The disease causes a persistent cough and is easily spread. Students who come to school with a cough are being pulled from school and their parents are asked to get them tested for pertussis. If they test positive, they should be treated with an antibiotic and not return to the classroom or other public activities for five days. Those who have had close contact with someone infected are also being prescribed treatment. If they show no symptoms, they may return to school. The cost of the vaccinations at schools is covered by insurance for both students and staff. Children without insurance are not being turned away. Booster shots are also available through family physicians and at the Minute Clinic at CVS on Henderson Road. The Columbus Health Department and the Franklin County Board of Health also offer immunization clinics. The Columbus department holds an immunization clinic the third Tuesday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Worthington United Methodist Church, 600 High Street, Worthington. Franklin County Clinics in northern Franklin County include the Dublin Recreation Center, 5600 Post Road, Dublin, first Wednesday of each month, 10-11:45 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.; Central Trinity United Methodist Church, 1581 Cambridge Blvd., Grandview, first Thursday, 10 a.m.-11:45 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.; and Westerville Recreation Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville, first Tuesday, 10-11:45 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. For more information, call the Columbus Public Health Department at 645-7945 or the Franklin County Board of Health at 462-3635 or 462-6674. |