The letter, “Does agency need private charity?” asks a legitimate question about who is responsible for the health of our communities. The answer is: All of us.
It’s the role of the Snohomish Health District to coordinate the response to contagious diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough) and to educate the public about the value of vaccination. Doctors and private clinics provide most direct patient care.
It’s an important partnership because taxpayers can’t afford to pay for the half-million adults who need a pertussis booster shot. At the same time, our community can’t afford to lose another infant to a preventable disease.
In 2011, we had 222 confirmed cases of whooping cough in Snohomish County (compared to 25 in 2011), and many more unreported. Parents in three Marysville schools received letters this week to notify them that their children had been exposed to pertussis.
The only effective way to slow the spread of this disease is to dramatically increase immunization rates. Although most children have been vaccinated against pertussis, most adults have not. People of all ages need booster shots to maintain their immunity.
Immunization saves adults from missing work, children from infecting classmates, and mothers from giving pertussis to their unborn children.
Most people in our county have health insurance and can afford the $25 to $100 it costs to get vaccinated against pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria with a single shot (Tdap). For people who can’t afford a visit to a doctor, clinic or pharmacy, the Snohomish Health District is coordinating free immunization clinics for adults this Saturday, and another coming soon (visit www.snohd.org or call 425-388-5088 for an appointment).
The Everett Clinic Foundation, Group Health Cooperative and Sea Mar Community Health Centers deserve special thanks for supporting public health with these clinics. It’s a team effort.
Gary Goldbaum, MD, MPH
Health Officer
Snohomish Health District
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
