The percentage of kindergarten students entering Washington schools without required immunizations dropped this school year to 4.5%, down from 6.0% for the 2010-2011 school year. Officials credit new rules making it more difficult to obtain exemptions
As of April 28th, 1,132 cases of whooping cough have been reported in the state. The epidemic is on pace for as many as 3,000 cases this year, health officials said.
State is on pace to reach more than 3,000 cases for the year; levels that haven’t been seen in more than six decades.
Since the beginning of the year, 640 cases of whooping cough have been reported in Washington State. Last year by this time, only 94 cases had been reported.
The number of cases of whooping cough in Washington state increased by more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2011 from 608 cases to 912 cases — the highest number in six years.
Pharmacies usually charge between $25 and $32, while a shot at the doctor’s office usually costs at least $48.
The number of cases of whooping cough in Washington are up sharply this year with 431 cases reported in the state — 53 more than this time last year.
Getting an exemption is still possible but under a new law will require a visit to a health provider.
Seattle Times health coverage: Parents debate vaccine safety at CDC forum in Shoreline, Hutch win $20 million grant to seek stem cell HIV cure, Harborview praised for innovative drug intervention program.
New legislation that will make it tougher for parents to obtain exemptions to state laws requiring their children be vaccinated before attending public schools.
A proposal to make it more difficult for parents to avoid school-entry immunization requirements has raised the ire of opponents, who say the requirement is insulting and violates their parental rights.
Adult immunization rates have inched up in recent years, they are still far below what they should be, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All adults who are age 60 or over should get the shingles vaccine, but just 10 percent of that group had received it.
Likewise, only 17 percent of women between 19 and 26 had gotten even one of the three doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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