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Source: Illinois Department of Public Health

12/13/2011

As of Dec. 13, 1,149 cases of pertussis have been confirmed in Illinois, topping the 648 cases reported for all of 2009. Most of the cases have been reported in four counties: 275 in Cook County, 227 in McHenry County, 217 in DuPage County, and 112 in Lake County. Infants too young to be vaccinated are particularly vulnerable, so health officials are calling on parents, relatives, caregivers, and others in close proximity to infants to receive the pertussis vaccine. “Pertussis vaccination for infants begins at two months, but young infants are not adequately protected until the initial series of shots is complete at six months of age,” says Dr. Kenneth Soyemi, acting director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Health officials say people who may have been exposed to pertussis, regardless of a recent vaccination, should receive antibiotic treatment from their healthcare provider, and people ages 11 to 64 years and caregivers age 65 and up should receive the booster recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.