No whooping cough shot, no school or sports

School officials across Sonoma County are hoping a massive public relations campaign will prevent thousands of middle and high school students from being barred from class next fall because they haven't been immunized against whooping cough.

As many as 17,000 seventh-through-12th graders are believed to be without current immunization against pertussis, or whooping cough. Under a state law that takes effect July 1, those students will be barred from attending school unless a parent signs a specific waiver in the presence of a school official.

"No shots, no schedule," county superintendent of schools Steve Herrington told a gathering of about 50 principals, nurses and school staff Thursday. "No shots, no sports."

County health officials urged school officials to begin an education campaign using parent groups, athletic directors, phone calls and newsletters to advise parents that there will be no grace period.

"It's that population that keeps this disease present in our county and keeps it moving around," said Mark Netherda, the county deputy public health officer, referring to 11- to 18-year-olds.

Last June, California declared a statewide whooping cough epidemic. In 2010, 8,627 confirmed, probable and suspected cases were documented, the largest number in 63 years, according to state officials.

"This is not just a nuisance," Netherda said. "This disease kills children. It kills infants."

Unlike other vaccines given to children before they enter kindergarten, the protection kids get from getting a pertussis vaccine diminishes over time - thus the new requirement requiring an updated dose.

In Santa Rosa City Schools, the county's largest school district with about 15,500 students, automated phone calls are expected to go out this week, reminding parents of the new requirement.

"We've got to do it," Superintendent Sharon Liddell said. "We may get some pushback, but we have to do it for the safety of our kids."

Ninety-two percent of a community must be vaccinated against pertussis to cover the entire group with so-called "herd immunity," according to Netherda.

Key to the new law is that existing vaccination waivers - called Personal Belief Exemptions - do not cover the whooping cough booster vaccination. Parents must sign a revised, state-approved exemption form in the presence of a school official before the student can enroll in fall classes or participate in fall sports.

In addition, those students who are exempted from the vaccination could be barred from school for 21 days if two students on their campus get diagnosed with pertussis.

Sonoma County's exemption rate is nearly 5 percent of public school students and almost 8 percent of private school kids. Those numbers far exceed state average of 2 percent, Netherda said.

"We have one of the highest rates in the entire country," he said. "That's definitely not where we want to be."

That exemption brings with it added responsibility for parents under the new law, according to Herrington.

"Parents need to understand," he said. "If two or more students are diagnosed, you child will be excluded."

"They are signing something that says &‘I know I have to keep my kid at home,'" Netherda said.