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National Immunization Awareness Month highlights the importance of immunizations for people of all ages—including adolescents and young adults. The Napa County Immunization Clinic is offering vaccines for school during this month.
Healthcare providers can make a difference in decreasing vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Your have the power to protect against vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Getting vaccines at the recommended time is the best way to protect against serious diseases
- Vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious diseases.
- Vaccine-preventable diseases are still a threat, and vaccination is the best protection.
Below are some key messages for healthcare professionals to encourage parents and patients to stay up to date on vaccinations, along with a video series depicting how healthcare professionals talk to their patients.
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National Breastfeeding Month
Breastfeeding as Healing: Adversity and the Path to Resilience
The Napa Valley Breastfeeding Coalition invites you to join them for a day with Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, PhD, IBCLC, FAPA focused on the topic of maternal mental health and breastfeeding. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is an award-winning health psychologist and international board certified lactation consultant specializing in women's health research, including breastfeeding, depression, trauma and health psychology. She will discuss the influences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), intimate partner violence, birth trauma, and maternal depression on breastfeeding and breastfeeding’s healing impact on women experiencing these factors. You will also learn how these issues might affect breastfeeding, and what mothers and practitioners can do to help.
Date and Time: Friday, September 20, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Location: Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington St.
Event Flyer is available here |
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Pertussis Health Update
This information update informs healthcare providers of increased pertussis activity in Napa County. Napa County Public Health has received six laboratory-confirmed pertussis cases in children under 18 years of age within a one week period prior to the start of school. Since school is now back in session, Public Health anticipates even more pertussis activity.
At this time, Public Health recommends that medical providers:
- Suspect pertussis in any individual with a progressive cough of greater than one week duration, with history of post-tussive vomiting and/or paroxysmal coughing or inspiratory “whoop.”.
- Consider pertussis even in recently vaccinated people when evaluating patients with symptoms compatible with pertussis. Immunity after immunization wanes within a few years.
- Consider pertussis regardless of age in patients with persistent cough. Symptoms are generally milder in teens and adults, especially in those who have received Tdap. Adults may report sweating episodes or feeling as if they are choking.
- Infants may have atypical presentation with mild symptoms initially. In young infants (≤ 3 month old), leukocytosis with lymphocytosis (white blood cell count of ≥20,000 cells/mm3 with ≥ 50% lymphocytes) and a cough illness is a strong indication of B. pertussis infection.
- Test for pertussis. If you suspect pertussis, obtain nasopharyngeal swab or aspirate for PCR testing.
- Start treatment immediately if pertussis is suspected. Clinicians should strongly consider treating prior to test results if clinical history is strongly suggestive (i.e. known contact to a pertussis case OR coughing paroxysms with post-tussive vomiting or inspiratory whoop) or patient is at risk for severe or complicated disease (i.e., infants).
- Since this is a high volume year for cases, only high-risk contacts should be prioritized for PEP: Infants <1 year of age, pregnant women in the third trimester, caregivers and household contacts of infants < 1 year of age, immunocompromised contacts.
- For suggested antibiotic treatment (see table 4): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5414a1.htm
- Vaccinate households with infants. Parents, household members aged 10 years of age and older, and other caregivers should receive a single dose of Tdap.
- Vaccinate and educate pregnant women. Immunize all women, irrespective of their immunization history, with Tdap during every pregnancy between 27-36 weeks’ gestation to optimize antibody transfer and protection of infants at birth. This is the most important measure to help protect young infants against pertussis.
- Tdap during pregnancy has not been found to be associated with an increased risk of adverse events in vaccinated women or their infants.
- Immunization of pregnant women with Tdap is covered by insurers, including Medi‑Cal.
- Postpartum vaccination does not provide transplacental antibodies to newborns but may prevent maternal acquisition and transmission of pertussis. If the postpartum mother has never received Tdap, promptly administer Tdap before discharge home
Please report suspected cases promptly to the Communicable Diseases Control Program at (707) 299-1499.
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Message from Dr. Karen Relucio, Health Officer
August is National Immunization Awareness Month and National Breastfeeding Month. The CDC has come up with video series and key messages for healthcare providers to talk to their patients about the importance of vaccinations. The Napa Valley Breastfeeding Coalition is hosting Dr. Kendall-Tackett, who will discuss breastfeeding's healing impact on ACEs and maternal depression. August has also introduced more pertussis cases, which will likely be heavier with the start of school--healthcare providers beware.
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