Jul. 30—Clinics to administer vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis will open in Colusa in August. The Colusa County Department of Health and Human Services will deliver immunizations commonly known as the TDAP vaccine to incoming seventh grade students.
According to the California Department of Public Health, state law requires students to receive their first dose of a pertussis-containing vaccine on or after their 7th birthday. Immunization proof is required for students to advance to seventh grade and beyond.
A vaccine clinic at the Colusa County Department of Health and Human Services office will be available on Aug. 2 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. A clinic at the Colusa County Free Library will be open Aug. 4, 9, 11, 16 and 18 at the same time.
Health and Human Services officials encourage parents to vaccinate their children in order to prevent the spread and effects of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. While tetanus is transmitted through bacteria coming to contact with open wounds, diphtheria and pertussis can spread from person to person, officials said in a statement.
Also known as "whooping cough," pertussis can cause an uncontrollable cough that makes it difficult to breathe, eat or drink. Pertussis in adolescents and adults can cause fainting, weight loss and rib fractures, officials said. However, the disease can cause severe reactions in babies and young children such as pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage or death, officials said.
Diphtheria is a throat infection that can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure or death. Health and Human Services officials said that both diphtheria and pertussis are transmittable through close contact with infected individuals.
Also called "lock jaw," tetanus is contracted from bacteria entering a deep wound or cut which causes severe muscle stiffness, difficulty swallowing or breathing and death. While tetanus has become uncommon in the United States over the years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that nearly all recent cases "are among people who did not get all the recommended tetanus vaccinations."
The Colusa County Free Library is located at 738 Market St. in Colusa. The Colusa County Department of Health and Human Services office is located 251 E. Webster St. inside the Colusa Medical Center.
The vaccine clinics are available by appointment only. To schedule an appointment to receive a TDAP vaccine, call 530-458-0380.
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