Announcement

Posted: August 4, 2011

Contact: Peter Rumble
(707) 565-4706

Public Health Offers Free Tdap Vaccines to Sonoma County Students

Sonoma County Public Health is offering free Tdap (whooping cough booster) vaccinations to students entering 7th throuth 12th grades on the next two Saturdays. The vaccination clinics will be held on August 6th at Analy High School in Sebastopol, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on August 13th at Santa Rosa High School in Santa Rosa from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The current the whooping cough (pertussis) epidemic California resulted in nearly 10,000 reported cases, including 10 infant deaths. Nearly 2,000 cases have been reported so far in 2011, but the disease typically peaks in the late summer or fall, just when most children are returning to school. Dr. Mark Netherda, Sonoma County's Interim Health Officer, is urging parents and guardians to get children protected. "The whooping cough epidemic is not over in Sonoma County. Our case rate for 2011 remains one of the highest in the state. Before children return to school, get them immunized. Don't risk having your child miss days of school due to a whooping cough outbreak, or worse yet, risk spreading the disease to a younger sibling or infant, resulting in serious complications or even death."

A new law, which applies to both public and private schools, requires 7th-12th graders to show proof of receiving a Tdap booster in order to enter school in the 2011-12 academic year. Students have 30 calendar days from the first day of school to comply with this new law, or risk being excluded from school. Until the new law went into effect on July 1st, California was one of only 11 states that did not require Tdap immunization for middle school-aged children. Other areas where similar laws have been enacted have seen a dramatic reduction in whooping cough cases.

Students should come to one of the two free clinics with a parent/guardian or with another responsible adult and a signed parental consent form. These forms are available on the Sonoma County Public Health website: www.sonoma-county.org/ph and will be available at the clinics for parents to sign. Students should eat a full meal before they come and bring their immunization records with them, if possible. Before students come to the clinics, they should check with their medical providers about their Tdap status, as many students have already received this vaccine which became available to children over age 10 in 2005.

Students may also obtain the Tdap vaccination through their private provider. Some local Community Health Centers are offering low cost or free Tdap immunizations. For more information about vaccine clinic times and locations, visit the Public Health website at www.sonoma-county.org/ph or call: (707) 565-4477. Tdap vaccinations are also available at many local pharmacies for a fee, usually around $70.