Gavin’s story: A mother’s crusade against pertussis May 8th, 2011 @ 10:00pm by Jennifer Stagg

SALT LAKE CITY — most new parents try to take every precaution with their newborns, staying away from anyone who may be sick and keeping everything clean. But what if you as the parent are carrying the very thing that could kill your infant?

The Norton family suffered a terrible loss from a disease they didn’t even think was a threat.

Pertussis, known more commonly as whooping cough, is a disease that is highly contagious and one of the most preventable with regular vaccinations. The disease is usually mild in adults, but can be deadly for infants.

Richie and Natalie Norton believe each of their four sons were born with a purpose. and on the day their youngest, Gavin, entered the world, they had no way of knowing just how significant — and brief — his life would be.

“With each of our children, we felt something different at their birth,” Natalie said, “And Gavin, we just felt absolute joy — just elation.”

Gavin David Bruce Norton was named after Natalie’s younger brother, who had passed away at age 21. Natalie was particularly cautious with her new son.

Whooping cough symptoms The symptoms of whooping cough usually occur in two stages.

• First stageRunny nosesneezingPossibly low-grade fever
• Second stageUncontrolled coughing spells or fitsPossible whooping noise when child breathes inCan last for 6-10 weeks

If your child has these symptoms keep them home and contact your health care provider.

The Norton’s planned to travel from their home in Hawaii to visit family in Utah when Gavin was two months old. to make sure he was healthy, Natalie visited her doctor who gave Gavin a clean bill of health and the green light for the trip.

The Norton’s traveled to Utah, believing that everything was fine. About a week into their trip, Gavin developed a cough.

Concerned, they took Gavin to a doctor who told them it was RSV, but Gavin’s condition quickly declined. They rushed him to the emergency room at Primary Children’s Medical Center.

“It was horrifying and very scary,” Richie described. “But at the same time, we just had all the faith in the world that he was going to be fine — we were going to be leaving — but that’s not the way it happened.”

Doctors diagnosed 8-week-old Gavin with Pertussis.

It wasn’t something the Norton’s knew much about. and it would turn their healthy, perfect newborn into an infant fighting for his life.

Watching their son’s condition move from a cough to being placed in the pediatric intensive care unit was absolutely horrifying, Natalie related.

Desperate for a miracle, Natalie, a photographer, poured her heart into her blog and strangers from around the world listened.

“We were getting messages from one man in Istanbul,” Richie stated. “He said he stayed up all night praying for our baby. We got messages from Ireland and Australia — anywhere in the world you can think of.

Natalie continued: “People were telling us they hadn’t prayed in years and here they were praying for the first time all over this sweet little boy.”

Doctors tried their hardest to save little Gavin’s life, but the Norton’s came to believe that there was a different plan for their baby.

And at 10 weeks old, they watched him quietly slip away.

“For a moment, it was as if the heavens opened and we just could really feel — I guess — love, for him and his life,” Richie said.

“We snuggled him and we sang to him,” Natalie added, “and we said goodbye.”

The Nortons learned that for all of their precautions, pertussis was in Gavin’s system before they ever left their home in Hawaii.

When Natalie gave birth, she had a little bit of a cold. There was a high probability that Natalie passed pertussis on to Gavin, which is something that no mother wants to think about.

According to the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign, 80 percent of the time, babies contract pertussis from their parent or caregiver.

What many people don’t realize is that vaccines lose their effectiveness over time. Individuals, especially parents, should be updating their vaccines to ensure that they do not contract a previously vaccinated disease.

The Norton’s are now passionate spokespeople for the Sounds of Pertussis. They want every adult to get their T-Dap vaccination — including every new mother — before they leave the hospital with their baby.

“Being a mom, standing and watching, and there’s nothing you can do, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Natalie described. “And if all it takes is a little shot to protect us, it’s absolutely worth it.”

Gavin was buried next to the uncle he was named after.

His parents stress the importance of education — other babies will live because of the Norton’s loss.

Despite the heartache the Norton’s have experienced, Natalie believes that there is one message that everyone should know.

“I really truly believe with all my heart that Gavin’s purpose was to help people know that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them.”

Gavin was born on October 24th, 2009 and passed away on January 7th, 2010.

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Vaccine injury is a tricky thing to prove — medically and legally. so it was inevitably controversial when the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday against the parents of Hannah Bruesewitz, 18, who suffered seizures and permanent brain damage after receiving a diptheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine in 1993.

The Bruesewitz family sued Wyeth, then the parent company of the maker of the DTP vaccine that Hannah received as an infant, arguing that Wyeth was responsible for Hannah’s condition and should be held accountable. the high court disagreed.

Rather, the Court said, vaccine makers cannot be held liable for negative side effects that parents believe are the result of their products. to be compensated, parents must go before special no-fault tribunals established by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. Congress created these “Vaccine Courts” with the participation of pharmaceutical companies as a sort of “societal bargain” — as Justice Antonin Scalia noted in the majority decision in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth — to ensure the future of vaccine availability in the U.S. at the time of the Act, hundreds of injury lawsuits were piling up against vaccine manufacturers, causing them to abandon manufacture of major vaccines and threatening immunizations for the entire country. (More on Time.com: Q&a: the Dangers of the Anti-Vaccine Movement)

The terms? Injured parties may file for compensation without having to prove cause — they simply have to demonstrate that the injury occurred immediately after vaccination. further, the claimed injury does not have to be among the listed contraindications on the vaccine package, but must be included in a list of side effects called a Vaccine Table, kept by the Vaccine Court. In exchange, pharmaceutical companies cannot be held liable in civil court for adverse effects, and there is a cap on how much claimants may be awarded. (The fees come from taxes on immunizations.)

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act “reflects a sensible choice to leave complex epidemiological judgments about vaccine design to the FDA and the National Vaccine Program rather than juries,” Justice Scalia wrote on behalf of the Court.

This kind of agreement illustrates the complicated relationship the public has with a product that is designed to keep it safe (but, like any therapeutic drug, holds the risk of harm), and shows how far outside the realm of scientific evidence public fears extend. the Bruesewitzes’ case also, once again, brings to the forefront the ever-stronger antivaccine movement in the United States. In some regions of the country parents are increasingly refusing to vaccinate their children, influenced not only by the remote possibility of adverse reactions, but also by fringe activists who believe vaccines cause autism or other unrelated ailments. (More on Time.com: The Link between an H1N1 Vaccine and Narcolepsy)

To be clear, autism was not Russell and Robalee Bruesewitz’s official complaint. their daughter Hannah suffered seizures and subsequent brain damage after she received the DTP vaccine. Hannah began having seizures within hours of receiving the third of a scheduled five doses of Wyeth’s Tri-Immunol DTP vaccine, at 6 months old. Within 16 days, she had an additional 125 seizures. her medical records included speech delays and “autistic-like features” among her symptoms. she now suffers from residual seizure disorder and remains developmentally impaired.

The DTP vaccine that Hannah received came from a batch associated with an unusually high number of adverse events, including one death and eight children who had convulsions. the Bruesewitzes took their case to a Vaccine Court in 1995, but were denied a settlement because residual seizure disorder wasn’t one of the adverse events appearing on the Vaccine Table for DTP. the petition was dismissed in 2003.

So the family sued under Pennsylvania tort law, this time arguing that Wyeth was negligent in maintaining its Tri-Immunol DTP vaccine. the Bruesewitzes argued that the vaccine, which was developed in the 1940s, hadn’t been updated since, even while other companies had updated their DTP vaccines, and thus resulted in design defects that caused “avoidable” harm.

Federal law prohibits parents from suing vaccine makers for design defects, saying that no vaccine maker can be held liable for death or injuries arising from “side effects that were unavoidable even though the vaccine was properly prepared and was accompanied by proper directions and warnings.” But in this case, the Bruesewitzes argued, since Wyeth ultimately withdrew this version of Tri-Immunol from the U.S. market in 1998, Hannah’s injuries should be considered avoidable — the company could have made an earlier update and didn’t for financial reasons, they claimed. (More on Time.com: Gardasil Protects Boys and Men From HPV Too)

Ultimately, the case landed in the Supreme Court, which voted 6 to 2 in favor of vaccine makers on Tuesday. Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia said that to allow civil litigation for vaccine injury claims that had failed in Vaccine Court would set a precedent that would destroy the market for vaccines. Juries would be sympathetic to the plight of parents, regardless of medical evidence, and litigation would go through the roof.

Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that vaccines do not cause permanent disorders like autism and epilepsy, many parents cling to the myth. why? much of the confusion stems from timing: the first signs of epilepsy, other seizure disorders or autism often appear right about the time children receive many their routine vaccines. the co-occurrence is coincidental.

“The thing about epilepsy is that it’s often a seemingly random event. the human response is to try to find a reason. I’ve literally had people come in and say that their epilepsy has to do with the phases of the moon,” said Dr. Carl W. Bazil, neurology professor at Columbia University. “Can I prove that epilepsy is never caused by vaccine? no. But as a neurologist I can say that it’s extremely unlikely.”

To get a better understanding of the antivaccine mindset, I spoke with Dr. Paul Offit a foremost vaccine expert and author of Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens us All. Offit has seen the most unusual medical reactions to vaccines and the most dire consequences of vaccine distrust: preventable childhood deaths, community outbreaks of outdated diseases and misinformed, angry parents. You can read our conversation here.

Related Links:

Why People Reject Things that Keep them Safe

Autism, Vaccines and Fraud: Q&a with Author Seth Mnookin

Zionsville – A confirmed case of whooping cough (pertussis) is being reported at Zionsville High School.

The school notified parents that some students may have been exposed in class or on the bus. They're asking parents to be alert for symptoms. if students are showing symptoms, parents should seek treatment immediately and keep their child at home.

Symptoms usually begin in 7-10 days following exposure, range 4-21 days. the first symptoms of pertussis are those of the common cold with a mild cough. after a week or two, the cough becomes more severe and may occur more frequently during sleep. As the cough gets worse, it usually includes a series of coughs (“coughing fits or spasms”).

People with pertussis may have vomiting following the coughing spell and have difficulty catching their breath, which may cause a whooping sound. However, adolescents, adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop. Generally, there is no fever or a low grade fever with pertussis.

If a doctor prescribes an antibiotic for treatment, the child must stay home until after taking the medicine for five full days. All household members of a suspected case or positive test result should also be given antibiotics for prevention.

Whooping cough can be avoided through immunization. sometimes it will infect immunized children, but symptoms will usually be milder than in unimmunized children.

It is recommmended you check the immunization status of all family members and make sure they are up-to-date for DtaP (a pertussis containing vaccine for persons less than seven years of age) or Tdap (a pertussis booster vaccine for persons 10-64 years of age). your physician or local health department should be able to assist you in determing if vaccination is needed for any of your family members.

Learn more about whooping cough.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV)–Siouxland District Health Officials say there are two more confirmed cases of whooping cough in Woodbury County.

That brings the total to three.

Last week, administrators in the Sergeant Bluff-Luton school district sent an e-mail to parents letting them know a student had come down with the illness.

They want parents to keep an eye on their kids to see if any symptoms develop over the next several weeks.

Tyler Brock, with Siouxland District Health, says he won't be surprised if a handful more cases of pertussis show up in the next few weeks but he doesn't expect it to go further than that.

They're working to make doctors aware of the symptoms.

Those can show up within 7 to 10 days of exposure.

It often starts off like a cold but within a few weeks, the cough worsens, and is often followed by a “whooping” sound.

Whooping cough is spread through coughing and sneezing, and is highly contagious in close contact,

In infants, it can actually cause death.

If you your child develops symptoms, see your doctor.

Siouxland District Health Officials also urge everyone to get their Pertussis booster shot.

They say the vaccine can wear off so it's important to get a booster both as a teen and as an adult.

More details about symptoms and treatment can be found at the website of the Center for Disease Control.

Internet Director: Kyle Martens

Health officials in Ontario County are on the alert since several cases of whooping cough have been reported. also called pertussis, the potentially serious disease usually starts with cold-like symptoms lasting one to two weeks followed by weeks to months of severe coughing attacks. Ontario County Public Health recently received reports of cases in the county, said Mary Beer, county director of pubic health. All were children who have recovered, she said. the disease is highly contagious and also preventable with a vaccine. it is not uncommon to have a few cases reported in a year, said Beer. even so, it is important to take the illness seriously, Beer said: “it hangs on for a long time. … It’s no fun.” Of particular concern is making sure infants and young children don’t get it, as they don’t have a big lung capacity and are more at risk. Whooping cough is spread from person to person through moist droplets released into the air when a person coughs or sneezes. Babies are not protected against whooping cough because they are too young to be fully vaccinated. Vaccinating people who have contact with infants is vital to protecting the youngsters: that means new fathers, grandparents, siblings, babysitters, healthcare workers and any person who has close contact with an infant. Women not vaccinated prior to pregnancy should be vaccinated as soon as possible after delivery. Dr. Carlos R. Ortiz, Thompson’s senior vice president of medical services, said Thompson has seen a handful of whooping cough cases — mostly in children — in its primary care offices and in its emergency department. None of the cases, as of Friday, had resulted in an inpatient admission. To help prevent the spread of whooping cough, Thompson is providing the Tdap (tetanus/diptheria/pertussis) vaccine to women who have recently delivered newborns in Thompson’s Birthing Center.

State and federal health authorities urged doctors and patients on Friday to make greater use of a booster vaccine for pertussis because of a high rate of the coughing disease in Minnesota and other parts of the country.

Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is rarely fatal but can be quite serious, especially in infants.

In Minnesota, more than 1,000 cases a year have been reported since 2008.

The disease tends to peak in the population every three to four years, but lately, "what we’ve seen is that those peaks are like an escalating roller coaster," said Kristen Ehresmann, who heads the vaccine program at the state Department of Health. Peaks are higher and last longer, and the valleys between them are not as low, she said.

"Our [per capita] rates are about as high as you’d see in California," where pertussis killed 10 infants last year, she said.

Minnesota has had no deaths from the disease in the past three years, Ehresmann said, and in general, patients are hospitalized in about 2 percent of reported cases.

The first symptoms of pertussis resemble those of a cold: sneezing, a runny nose and a cough. after one or two weeks, the cough worsens, coming in uncontrollable bursts, often accompanied by a high-pitched whooping sound.

A booster vaccine has been recommended for children entering 7th grade and adults who need a tetanus booster, but health authorities suspect that it’s not as widely used as it should be.

The booster, called Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular-pertussis), was introduced in 2005 after health officials learned that the effectiveness of a primary vaccine series, usually given to children under 7, wears off as kids reach their teens.

New recommendations issued Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that:

• Adults and teens may get the Tdap vaccine regardless of when they last got a tetanus-diphtheria shot.

• Tdap may be given to children ages 7-10 who have not received or completed a primary series of vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

• Seniors who work with young children should get Tdap.

Health authorities said patients should ask for the shot, if needed, at their next clinic visit.

For more information about pertussis, go to health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/pertussis.

Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016

The Westport and Fairfield health departments are offering 3-in-1 vaccination shots against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus to all who have close contact with infants under the age of 12 months.

Registered nurse Loren Pace at the Westport Weston Health District said the vaccine is provided free — with a $21 vaccination administration fee ­­– through the state Department of Public Health immunization program.

Sands Cleary, the director of the Fairfield Health Department, said there is no fee for the 3-in-1 shot, which is available to eligible people at the Fairfield Well Child Clinics.

“Vaccination with pertussis-containing vaccine is intended for all persons who have close contact with infants,” Pace said. Pertussis is the scientific name for whooping cough.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, in 2009 nearly 17,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in the United States, “but many more go undiagnosed and unreported.” each year worldwide there are 30 million to 50 million cases and about 300,000 deaths, the CDC reports. Additionally, since the 1980s, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases in the U.S., especially among 10- to 19-year-olds and infants younger than 6 months of age.

“The fundamental strategy of the immunization program, referred to as cocooning, helps to put a protective cocoon of safety around the infants,” Pace said.

“Persons eligible for vaccination include post-partum women, mothers and fathers of premature infants in neonatal intensive care units, adoptive families, siblings, grandparents and household contacts and care givers of infants less than 12 months of age.”

Whooping cough is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis.

These bacteria attach to cilia, which are tiny, hair-like extensions that line the upper respiratory tract, and release toxins. the toxins damage cilia and cause inflammation.

* Typical signs and symptoms include uncontrollable, violent coughing and a “whooping” sound, and/or vomiting.

* Any person with a history of cough illness lasting 14 days or more and exhibiting one of the symptoms should be seen promptly by his or her physician.

The CDC reported that more than half of the number of infants less than 1 year of age who get pertussis must be hospitalized and that pertussis is generally treated with antibiotics, which are used to control the symptoms and to prevent infected people from spreading the disease.

For more information or for a vaccination appointment at the WWHD, call Pace at 203-227-9571. for Fairfield information, call 203-256-3020.

DECATUR – Earlier this month, the Macon County Health Departmentreported an increase in pertussis, commonly known as whoopingcough. According to a recent news release, threelaboratory-confirmed cases and two probable cases were identifiedin early December, a trend that holds true in Illinois and otherstates.

As of the beginning of December, 813 cases of pertussis had beenreported in Illinois for 2010 – 165 more than were seen in all of2009. According to the release, California has reported 10 infantdeaths from pertussis this year.

Pertussis is especially dangerous to infants, who cannot bevaccinated. They experience more serious illness and are morelikely to require hospitalization or have serious complications,the release said.

The illness, which begins with a cough and symptoms similar tothose of a cold, can occur between five and 21 days after exposure.According to the health department, after initially appearing, thesymptoms worsen over a period of weeks and can cause coughingspasms and the characteristic “whoop” of breathing inafterwards.

“Some adolescents and adults may demonstrate a milder form ofthe illness, so mild they don’t even know they are sick,” therelease stated.

The health department’s communicable disease department isimplementing a variety of strategies designed to reduce the spreadof the disease. One initiative involves educating medical providersabout the importance of recognizing pertussis symptoms early andfollowing up with proper tests, treatments and reporting.

Advising those who have been in close contact with reportedpertussis cases and reminding those with symptoms to stay home andaway from those at risk of complications are among the otherelements of the department’s effort.

The health department also advises that parents and caregiversof infants and those who have never received a tetanus, diphtheriaand pertussis (Tdap) vaccination do so to help protect those athigh risk of complications and themselves.

The Macon County Health Department will provide the Tdap vaccineat no charge for adult caregivers and parents of WIC infantsthrough Dec. 29. the vaccine also is available at many area medicalproviders’ offices or at the health department from 1 to 3:30 p.m.Wednesdays for $53, according to the release.

For more information, call 423-6988 or visitmaconcountyhealth.org.

Craven County — Four schools are warning parents of suspected cases of whooping cough affecting nine children in Craven County. in some of the suspected cases the children became sick despite getting vaccinated for the disease.Whooping cough, or pertussis, causes violent coughing that causes people to gasp for air. Doctor David Tayloe at Coastal Children’s Clinic in new Bern says it can become deadly in infants under six months old.Craven County Health Department nurses say the one confirmed case involved a young child that was treated at CarolinaEast Regional Medical Center. Nurses say that two older siblings at Creekside Elementary also likely have whooping cough.Nurses say none of the children in that family were vaccinated for whooping cough because of their religious convictions. All six children involved in other possible cases did have their vaccinations but still potentially came down with the disease.Students at Creekside Elementary, Arthur Edwards Elementary, James W. Smith Elementary, and H.J. MacDonald Middle School all received notes to go to their parents warning them of the symptoms of whooping cough. Some students in close contact to the sick children have been treated for the disease.

Copyright © 2010 WCTI/WFXI/WYDO. All rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A third laboratory-confirmed case of pertussis has beenidentified in Kittitas County, according to a news release fromKittitas County Public Health Department.

In addition to the three laboratory-confirmed cases, there arefive cases with known exposure and cough lasting more than twoweeks, the release said. all but one of the cases are associatedwith Thorp School District.

Thorp School District Superintendent Jim Hainer decided tocancel school today as a precaution. Thursday night’s Christmasprogram was also canceled.

“We had a new confirmed case in the middle of the week andbecause it’s our last day, after consulting with the healthdepartment, it made sense to close today,” Hainer said thismorning.

Hainer said the Christmas program will likely be rescheduledsometime in January because the kids worked so hard on it. Schoolwill reopen after winter break on Monday, Jan. 3.

Morgan Middle School

The most recent suspected case is in Ellensburg, not Thorp.according to the release, a student at Morgan Middle School issymptomatic and is being tested for pertussis.

The best way to prevent pertussis is by vaccination, accordingto the health department. Children should have five doses of DTaPvaccine, plus a booster dose of Tdap just before entering sixthgrade. both DTaP and Tdap vaccines protect against tetanus,diphtheria, and pertussis. Adults through age 64 can replace onetetanus booster dose with a Tdap.

The Tdap for adults can be given earlier than the 10-year markrecommended between tetanus boosters. Consult your health careprovider for information.

The health department held Tdap vaccination clinics in allmiddle and high schools in the county this week. Whileparticipation was less than expected, 52 students were vaccinated,the release said.

Call your health care provider immediately if you are concernedthat you or a family member has pertussis.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pertussis include:

• Cold-like symptoms, followed by a persistent cough. Thepersistent cough occurs in explosive bursts that may end invomiting or gagging.
• In adolescents and adults, pertussis may cause only mildcold-like symptoms (runny nose, mild cough, low-grade fever,sneezing) or it may appear as repeated violent coughs followed by ahigh pitched “whoop.”
• In some adolescents and adults, the symptom may only be apersistent cough, often worse at night. between bursts of coughing,patients may appear well.

Copyright 2010 Daily Record. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.