SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - It has been more than 60 years since Utah has seen such a bad year for the whooping cough. The problem: people aren't keeping up with vaccinations for their kids and themselves.
It has been a bad year for the whooping cough, the worst since 1946.
The latest numbers from the Utah Department of Health say 875 cases of the respiratory disease have been reported so far in 2012. That is nearly double what we saw last year.
Theron Jeppson an epidemiologist with the state health department told ABC4 there is one solution to the problem; "If everybody chose to be vaccinated we would have a lot fewer cases of pertussis going around."
Unfortunately, everybody isn't getting the vaccination.
According to state data only 67% of Utah children have been fully immunized.
While the department of health says you should absolutely vaccinate your child the need to vaccinate doesn't end at your children.
Utah Mom Rachel Shurdha sees the bigger picture of the vaccinating question, "People need to take time to think about not only vaccinating their children, but their own vaccinations."
If adults are not up to date with their pertussis vaccinations and boosters, they could be unknowingly spreading a problem to vulnerable children.
For an adult, the vaccination has basically no side effects, except one, preventing your ability to spread this disease to children.
