The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued the following press release.
Today, state health officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) announced a third infant has died from pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory infection that has been increasing in prevalence across the United States in part due to declining vaccination rates. This is the third pertussis-related infant death reported in Kentucky within the past 12 months. KDPH has warned Kentuckians about the rising threat of pertussis (whooping cough), noting the largest spike in cases reported in the commonwealth since 2012. “We are deeply saddened to learn of another infant death in Kentucky due to pertussis and are concerned by the volume of cases we are seeing throughout the commonwealth,” said Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “We continue to urge Kentuckians to get their whooping cough vaccine and to make sure they are up to date on all other recommended immunizations. Many illnesses can be prevented through vaccination, which helps protect not only the individual but also those around them.” As of Nov. 19, there have been 566 cases of whooping cough identified in Kentucky, with health officials anticipating additional cases in the final weeks of the year. Babies younger than 1 year old are at the greatest risk for whooping cough. The best way to prevent whooping cough is by receiving the Tdap or DTaP vaccine, which protects against three bacterial infections – diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Infants can receive the DTaP vaccine beginning at the age of 2 months. The Tdap vaccine is recommended for women during pregnancy to help provide early protection for the baby. KDPH confirmed none of the infants who died of pertussis in Kentucky over the past 12 months had been vaccinated, nor had their mothers. Kentucky’s three infant deaths from whooping cough are the commonwealth’s first whooping cough deaths reported since 2018. Whooping cough vaccination is required for Kentucky school children. Data from the 2024-2025 Kentucky school immunization survey indicate, however, that only 86% of kindergarteners and 85% of seventh graders are up to date on their required whooping cough vaccines. Health officials encourage everyone to remain up to date with pertussis immunizations. This means: • All pregnant women should be immunized with each pregnancy to protect their babies. • Infants should be immunized when they are 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12-to-15 months old. • Children should be immunized before starting kindergarten. • Pre-teens should be immunized between the ages of 11 and 12 years old. • Teens and adults should be immunized at least every 10 years, or sooner if an injury occurs or to protect a newborn. Other ways to prevent the spread of whooping cough and other infectious illnesses include washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick. Symptoms of whooping cough can vary based on age and vaccination status but typically begin with a runny or congested nose and mild coughing. After one to two weeks, the cough can progress to rapid, violent coughing fits that may cause the characteristic “whooping” sound, vomiting or labored breathing.Kingfish note: There were 543 cases in Kentucky last year. The 2025 case count is the highest since 2012.
8 comments:
It’s a small price to pay to fight tyranny.
9:20 AM You are directly killing babies. When you meet your maker one day you will face grave consequences.
9:20 am Children shouldn't have to die because their parents were too cheap or too ignorant to take proper care of them until they are 18. Not vaccinating your children is child abuse as far as I'm concerned. Please get sterilized immediately if you are only mentally impotent !
They said the mother had not been vaccinated- does that mean "never" or simply not updated? The article is not clear.
If it was just not updated, that could be anyone. Pertussis is included in the tetanus shot, and many only get one if they cut themselves.
If the mother has never been vaccinated, that points more to someone who grew up in another country.
And to my point - no one wants to admit that having immigrants here with no health screenings is a public health crisis.
You should see the studies they did on Amish children. Little to none ADD/ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome or any other childhood illnesses. But there's a reason why they aren't broadcast for everyone to see...
9:20 am Not vaccinating your child is child abuse as far as I'm concerned and being ignorant, lazy or a cheapskate is no excuse! The only silver lining is that perhaps we will be able to cull you and those like you from the gene pool over time. Mumps causes sterility in men in it's men who have dominated the world of tyrants. Also, male children are less likely to survived.
Maybe it wasn't smart to make your parents vaccinate YOU before you could go to school.
9:49 am You really do not know a thing about the Amish or science. There is autism among the Amish and some Amish settlements have had terrible outbreaks of childhood diseases. It's those settlements that never interact outside of the community so they don't get exposed that avoid those things. They are protected from asthma and allergy ( it's know as "the farm effect".) Some Amish communities suffer higher rates of dwarfism, Angelman syndrome and Crigler-Najjar syndrome. And perhaps it's mumps in men causing sterility that keeps them a comparatively small group. God helps us from those who don't know what they don't know and think they know everything.
And yet 9:49 provides no links to these studies. It's almost as if they don't exist.
Post a Comment