Meningitis Program at Local High Schools a Success

May 18, 2011 at 6:41 pm brownwoodnewsstaff

Life

browncountyhealthcenter Brownwood-Brown County Health Department Immunization Coalition Coordinator Jodie Hohertz reported that the Meningitis Angels Program was a success at Bangs and Brownwood High Schools on Monday resulting in a large number of students getting their vaccines due to the information gathered at the program.

In an email to those who helped promote the program, Hohertz stated, “After the presentation of the Meningitis Angels at the Bangs ISD for the Seniors, we had 36 students come to the health department that day and get 83 shots. They not only got the Meningococcal vaccine but they got caught up on other vaccinations that they needed as well.”

Informational programs such as these that educate our community of the benefits verses the risks of immunizations help the community as a whole. Through keeping our children up to date on vaccines, we can help limit the spread of disease within our community. According to the Immunization Action Coalition, there are 10 diseases that are preventable through proper immunizations. The following table shows the highest and lowest years of morbidity in Texas by Year, which shows the decrease as immunizations have become available.

Highest and Lowest VPD Morbidity in Texas by Year

Disease	Highest Morbidity	Lowest Morbidity
Congenital rubella syndrome	12 cases in 1974	0 cases since 1999
Diphtheria	5,756 cases in 1933	0 cases since 1982
Haemophilus influenzae type b	843 cases in 1988	2 cases in 2004
Hepatitis A	4,892 cases in 1973	184 cases in 2009
Hepatitis B	1,960 cases in 1998	260 cases in 1971*
Measles	88,000 cases in 1958	0 in 2006 and 2008
Mumps	32,939 cases in 1950	14 cases in 2001
Paralytic poliomyelitis (wild)	2,778 cases in 1950	0 cases since 1977
Pertussis	21,558 cases in 1947	36 cases in 1976
Rubella	8,408 cases in 1970	0 cases since 2005
Tetanus	55 cases in 1954	0 cases in 2007
Varicella	26,688 cases in 1997	1,778 cases in 1972**

*little serologic testing of persons with hepatitis was performed in 1971

** reporting of varicella (chickenpox) began in 1972

If you would like more information regarding immunizations or the schedule for proper immunizations, please contact the Brownwood-Brown County Health Department at 325-646-0554 or visit the health clinic at 510 E. Lee Street in Brownwood. Click here to visit the Immunization Coalition website.