State to Require New Vaccinations for 6th-12th Graders: What Do You Think?
Do you think the state of Illinois should require students to receive the Tdap booster shot in order to remain in school?
The Illinois State Board of Health has approved new recommendations from the Illinois Department of Public Health and The Illinois Department of Education to require all students in sixth grade through senior year of high school to have an additional vaccination. The students will now need to show proof of receiving the Tdap booster shot. The vaccine immunizes against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. “We’ve seen an increase in pertussis, or whooping cough, in Illinois during the last six years. Medical experts have found whooping cough has been on the rise in pre-teens and teens, indicating a waning immunity from infant and childhood immunizations,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck in a press release…
Kate F.
6:07 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
My daughter contracted whooping cough (pertussis) two years ago when she was a junior in high school...AND YES, she was vaccinated as a child. Unfortunately, given her age, pertussis was the last thing we suspected and didn't seek medical help until a month into it, when the nagging, sometimes breath-taking cough wouldn't go away. At that point, medication would not help. So she missed out on … more ›