Ohio declares whooping cough outbreak

Ohio health officials have declared a whooping cough outbreak in Franklin county. 410 cases have been reported this year in Columbus and Franklin County and 258 have been laboratory-confirmed. Adults are encouraged to get booster shots, to prevent them from infecting young babies, who are the most vulnerable, as demonstrated by the 8 babies dead of pertussis in the California whooping cough outbreak. Through the end of August the county had seen twice as many cases as all of last year, and there are 4 months to go to the end of 2010. Columbus Public Health and the Franklin County Board of Health will hold special immunization clinics in the next couple of weeks that will offer pertussis booster shots. Here is the info:

Columbus Public Health will have two walk-in immunization clinics for pertussis booster shots and other school required vaccines.

• Sept. 8 from 3 to 6:30 p.m.
• Sept. 15 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Franklin County Board of Health is holding two clinics by appointment for pertussis booster shots and other school required vaccines.

• Sept. 8 from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon