Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Immunization Requirements & Resources

Free Whooping Cough Vaccination Clinic
Sonoma County Public Health is offering free Tdap (whooping cough) vaccination clinics for Sonoma County students entering grades 7-12 in Fall 2011.

Saturday, August 13, 2011
10:00am - 3:00pm
Santa Rosa High School
1235 Mendocino Avenue
Parking – Ridgway Avenue

For more information, call 565-4477 or visit the Public Health website.

Community Clinics
For information about community clinics that provide the Tdap vaccination, please see this brochure (pdf) – in English and Spanish.

Updated Information: Deadline Extended
Governor Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 614, an urgency measure that allows students in grades 7-12 to attend school for 30 days before they must provide proof that they’ve received booster shots of the vaccine against whooping cough.

New Rule for SchoolA new school immunization law requires all students entering grades 7-12 in the 2011-12 school year in California to be immunized with a pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine booster called Tdap.

Pertussis is a very contagious respiratory disease that can be severe and last for months. The immunity received from either early childhood immunization or pertussis disease wears off over time, leaving older students and adults susceptible again to pertussis. Immunization with Tdap can protect students, schools, and communities against pertussis.

The new requirement affects all students – current, new, and transfers – in public and private schools. The law has two phases:

  • For the 2011-12 school year, all students entering into grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 will need proof of a Tdap shot before starting school.
  • For 2012-13 and future school years, all students entering into grade 7 will need proof of a Tdap shot before starting school.

For more information: Information about the vaccination and where to get whooping cough shots is available from the Sonoma County Public Health Division, Patricia Ensrud, RN, PHN, Immunization Coordinator, (707) 565-4573.

Resources

Shots for Schools
Shots for Schools is a California Department of Public Health website that summarizes information about immunizations required for school entry. It provides comprehensive information about the new Tdap requirement, including FAQs for parents and sample letters, scripts, and posters for schools. Materials are available in both English and Spanish, with parent information translated into additional languages.

Sonoma County Public Health
The county’s Public Health division provides information on infectious diseases, including Pertussis (Whooping Cough). It lists community clinics that offer immunizations, provides data on Pertussis cases in Sonoma County, and links to additional information about the signs and symptoms of whooping cough.

Parent Letters
In August 2010, SCOE and the Sonoma County Public Health Department developed a notice to parents regarding the risk of pertussis (also known as whooping cough) in Sonoma County. This parent letter, available in English and Spanish, outlines what parents can do to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Parent letter – English (pdf)
Parent letter – Spanish (pdf)

SCOE Contact

  • Kathleen Kelly, Executive Assistant
    (707) 524-2603,

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