Pertussis still spreading with 9 new cases

There are nine more confirmed cases of pertussis in Flathead County.

Flathead City-County Board of Health members learned Thursday about six more cases of pertussis, also called whooping cough. On Friday a health department press release reported three more cases. 

Jody White, director of the Community Health Division, said the six pertussis cases were not linked to two cases reported earlier this fall. The press release said eight of the cases are school-age children from three different school districts.

“This tells us that we still have disease circulating,” she said.

At least six of the nine people testing positive for pertussis were not immunized or were underimmunized.

White said Friday that more people receiving pertussis vaccinations along with those exposed who took prescribed antibiotics have helped protect those too young or unable to take the vaccine for medical reasons. She said it decreases the spread of the disease.

Health officials urge anyone with a cough lasting more than one week to contact their health-care provider. Babies, a group at special risk, may have the pertussis vaccination after two months.

White’s report at the Thursday board meeting sparked discussion of a topic visited earlier about the effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine. Dr. David Myerowitz, a board member actively advocating vaccinations, said he was disturbed to discover studies indicating the vaccine had only a 25 to 40 percent protective effect and that the immunity lasted only about three years.

He said he had believed it was at least 60 percent effective. Myerowitz added that it’s still the best tool available to fight disease.

“The vaccine we have is not good and that’s the problem we have,” he said. “The medical and science community needs to develop a more effective vaccine.”

White said she hadn’t read those studies and said that disease rates would go higher without the vaccine.

Myerowitz said his research traced the decline in effectiveness to the switch in 1990 to an acellular pertussis vaccine without any pieces of virus. Health Officer Joe Russell said that move was made to lessen the number of bad reactions to the original vaccine, adding that the Centers for Disease Control defends the acellular version as a good vaccine.

During her report to the board, White said the department has now completed its satellite flu shot clinics and was finishing up flu vaccination visits to assisted living facilities. She said the department had a good response with many requests for the stronger vaccine developed for people 65 and over.

In the animal shelter report to the health board, Shelter Director Cliff Bennett said the shelter’s cat population had reached 70 several times, the number where the department stops accepting cats to avoid respiratory disease spread from overcrowding.

To cope, Bennett said the shelter needs to build an addition on the east side of the building on Cemetery Road. He has submitted a grant to the Petco Foundation for assistance with the project expected to cost about $130,000.

Without more room, he said the department would have to look into changing its euthanasia policy.

On a positive note, Bennett said animal control officers now have on-board computers that allow them to scan animals with chips for owner information and to access licensing information in hours when the office is closed. He said they recently were able to take six pets back to their owners without bringing them to the shelter.

Board members postponed a scheduled vote on an updated agreement with the Flathead Community Health Center, pending more review. Board Chairman Dr. Glen Aasheim said the board has time to consider the latest draft, then vote at a special meeting before a Nov. 1 deadline.

Wendy Doely, director of the Community Health Center, reported the center has reached 95 percent of its five-year patient goal in just two years. 

Doely also relayed the approval of the new physician residency program in conjunction with Kalispell Regional Healthcare, other hospitals and the University of Montana. She said Kalispell Regional Healthcare will start interviewing next month for residents who would arrive in 2014.