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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Victorious Raiders parade trophy through downtown Ashland State police search for pursuit suspect near Hyatt Lake Police Reports Cheering on the champs Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition Education For a friend: AHS seniors team up to help former fellow student Ashland builds a bridge across the STEM gap Chicken pox hits Ashland Middle School AHS speech and debate team to compete in Medford Ashland: Lions Club steps up for vision tests Environment New TAP pumps bolster Ashland's options Most residents speak against gas pipeline proposed for Southern Oregon Home Help: Make your new house feel like home ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Business Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition The Playwright pub will be serving again Saturday Mt. 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State police search for pursuit suspect near Hyatt Lake ... Raiders bring it home ... Victorious Raiders parade trophy through downtown Ashland ... State police search for pursuit suspect near Hyatt Lake ... Raiders bring it home ... PUBLIC HEALTH Chicken pox hits Ashland Middle School Nearly 20 cases reported, plus two cases of whooping cough Comment By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings Posted Dec. 16, 2014 @ 10:39 am Updated Dec 16, 2014 at 11:34 AM By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings Posted Dec. 16, 2014 @ 10:39 am Updated Dec 16, 2014 at 11:34 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Stricter Ore. immunization law goes into effect March 1 • Some parents needled by new state immunization requirements • Low teenage vaccination numbers cause for concern • Oregon leads the nation in immunization exemptions » Social News A recent bump in the number of chicken pox and whooping cough cases in Jackson County has public health officials concerned for those most at risk of developing complications — infants, pregnant women, the sick, elderly and anyone not fully vaccinated. Since Thanksgiving, Jackson County Public Health Division has been notified of about four confirmed cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, and about 15 cases of chicken pox. Both highly contagious diseases are more prevalent at schools with low immunization rates, the county reported, though it declined to give specifics. Many people with either chicken pox or pertussis may experience temporary symptoms and not realize how the same disease can severely impact those around them, said Jim Shames, the county’s public health director. Pertussis, for example, is a respiratory disease characterized by cold-like symptoms followed by uncontrollable, sometimes violent coughing that can last for weeks. However, in an infant, this disease could potentially lead to respiratory failure or even death, Shames said. Similarly, chicken pox may induce a fever and itchy, blister-like rash in most people but could lead to complications, such as pneumonia, in a pregnant woman who has not been immunized and serious birth defects or life-threatening infections, depending on the term, in her unborn child. People with chicken pox are generally contagious for a few days before the pox appear and until they have crusted over, Shames said. People with pertussis may be contagious for three weeks or more, said Marlene Sadler, one of the county’s communicable-disease nurses. Tiffanie Lambert, Eagle Point's director of special services, said the district was notified of three cases of pertussis Friday. About 92 percent of Shady Cove’s students have been vaccinated, compared with 97.7 percent of students districtwide. In Ashland, where only about 70 percent of students were vaccinated as of 2013, there have been two recent cases of pertussis — both at Ashland Middle School — and nearly 20 cases of chicken pox, including about 15 cases at Willow Wind Community Learning, said Samuel Bogdanove, the district’s director of student services. “Generally, we might get one or two cases of chicken pox here or there throughout the years, so this kind of spike definitely has our attention,” Bogdanove said. “Usually, we send a notice home with students who haven’t been vaccinated or all the kids, depending on the circumstances.” A varicella vaccine is recommended to ward off chicken pox and is a series of two shots administered at least 28 days apart. The DTaP vaccine protects children ages 7 and younger from tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. The Tdap booster is recommended for older children and adults. The Jackson County Health Department, 1005 E. Main St., Building A, offers vaccines from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Shots cost $21.90 for children without health insurance, and about $69.43 (Tdap) to $130 (varicella vaccine) for adults without insurance. No appointment is necessary. Call 541-774-8209 for more information. “We’re going into the holiday season, and nobody wants to get somebody else sick,” said Sadler. “If you’re out in the community, going to church, bazaars, the mall, the movie theater or anywhere else and you have chicken pox, you could be severely impacting someone’s life.” Reach reporter Teresa Thomas at  [email protected] . By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings Posted Dec. 16, 2014 @ 10:39 am Updated Dec 16, 2014 at 11:34 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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