
Measles isn’t the only disease infiltrating the immune systems of Californians. Whooping cough is back, rising through 2014 and highlighting the diminishing effectiveness of the childhood vaccine. In response, public health officials are encouraging booster shots in adults and older children.
by Michelle Moons10 Feb 2015, 4:00 AM PST0

Since the Disneyland measles outbreak began in December, public health officials have called upon parents to vaccinate to vaccinate their under-immunized children and for adults to obtain a booster shot to protect against the disease. Since then, the coastal, liberal enclave of Santa Cruz has seen a significant uptick in vaccination appointments, according to local news station KSBW and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
by Michelle Moons4 Feb 2015, 12:41 PM PST0

Elementary schools in the inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton have a far higher vaccination rate than schools in wealthy Beverly Hills, state data show. The rate in Compton is 93.80%, near the 2013-14 national median of 94.7%, with one school at 100%. In Beverly Hills elementary schools, the rate is a mere 78.33%, creating the conditions for an outbreak.
by Joel B. Pollak4 Feb 2015, 7:15 AM PST0

A new case of measles caused the shutdown of a Santa Monica High School day care center Monday after one of its infant attendees was diagnosed the disease. The current outbreak began in California’s Disneyland theme park with 74 of the 107 recent cases linked to the Magic Kingdom point of origin.
by Michelle Moons2 Feb 2015, 11:41 AM PST0

California and California-related cases of the measles now total 87, excluding any outside the state that have no known link to the December Magic Kingdom outbreak. California Department of Public Health officials have updated the known extent of the spread that now spans seven states and Mexico.
by Michelle Moons27 Jan 2015, 2:11 PM PST0

Public health officials are raising their measles intervention alert, urging adults to consider a measles vaccine booster as California now reports 59 cases of the disease.
by Michelle Moons22 Jan 2015, 2:15 PM PST0

A study of California’s Bay area and Sonoma County suggests that the most under-vaccinated children in California are the very poor–and the very smart.
by Michelle Moons20 Jan 2015, 4:00 AM PST0