Serious whooping cough case hits WNY

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - It's the sound parents dread: a deep barking cough that signals whooping cough. There's been a serious case this summer right here in western New York.

Brianna Haag is recovering from whooping cough. It started as a minor cough, but then got much worse.

Brianna's mom, Jennifer, said, "She was coughing more and she was starting to turn a little dusky, a little purple around the mouth and the nose."

Brianna has spent two weeks in Women and Children's Hospital, including a week in the ICU. Her pediatricians have seen more cases than usual this year.

Dr. Colleen Mattimore of WNY Pediatrics said, "Every couple years there's a little flurry and we get minor outbreaks. This one came, worried me a little bit more because of what's happening across the country."

The worst outbreak is in California, but 18 other states have had more cases of pertussis already this year than they had in all of last year. So has upstate New York, primarily in the Syracuse area. Most cases don't need hospitalization, but whooping cough can be serious.

"Sometimes there's a perception in today's world, with today's medicine, that if babies get sick that we can save them, and sometimes we can't," said Dr. Mattimore.

Seven kids have died in California. We can protect kids by vaccinating them, and their parents and grandparents. Brianna was too young to be vaccinated; she probably caught it from her father.

"He's a teacher, and he ended the school year with what we thought was just a little bit of a cold, and he had a nagging cough that went on for a number of weeks," explained Jennifer.

Kids need a series of five vaccinations, and adults need boosters.

Jennifer said, "We had no idea that there was a pertussis vaccine for adults,"

"The protection wears off. So it's very important for middle school, high school kids, young adults and adult caregivers of babies to get a pertussis booster," said Dr. Mattimore.

Pertussis is an uncommon disease, thanks to vaccinations, and some people have developed a false sense of security about the need for vaccination, and maybe even a fear that vaccine side effects could be harmful. But the vaccine is safe, and it works, and even adults should be vaccinated to protect kids.