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Public health officials up warning about whooping cough

Published: July 19, 2010 | No Comments

By Daniel Weintraub

California’s Department of Public Health stepped up its warning about the spread of whooping cough today, urging more state residents to get the vaccine to protect against the disease known as pertussis.

The department is now recommending that anyone seven years or older who is not fully immunized get a an adolescent-adult booster vaccine. The vaccine is also recommended for women of childbearing age before, during or after pregnancy, and other people who have contact with pregnant women and infants.

“We are facing what could be the worst year for pertussis that this state has seen in more than 50 years,” said Gilberto Chavez, chief of the department’s Center for Infectious Disease and the state’s epidemiologist. “We are urging health providers to broaden their use of the pertussis vaccine and we are urging Californians to take the simple step of getting vaccinated to prevent pertussis.”

State officials say pertussis is now an epidemic in California. Through July 13, 1,496 cases of pertussis were reported, a nearly 500 percent increase from the same period last year, when 304 cases were reported.

Five infants, all under three months of age, have died from pertussis this year. Unimmunized or incompletely immunized young infants are particularly vulnerable.

To see the department’s announcement, click here.

To see other resources about the disease, go here.

 

Death rates decline for cancer, heart disease, stroke

Published: April 29, 2010 | No Comments

By Daniel Weintraub

California met federal health goals for reducing death rates from cancer, heart disease and stroke last year and improved its health status in 20 of 26 categories tracked by the state, according to a health status report card released Thursday by the Department of Public Health.

“The good news is that we are meeting many key national objectives for good health,” Dr. Mark Horton, the state’s public health director, said in a statement. “We remain committed to doing all we can to improve public health across all measures.”

The annual report showed that California met federal goals for reducing death rates for all cancers, lung cancer, female breast cancer, prostate cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke. California also met the national objectives related to initiating breastfeeding and infant mortality.

The report showed improvements in deaths from stroke, influenza/pneumonia, coronary heart disease, motor vehicle crashes, gunfire, prostate cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and homicide. There have also been fewer reported new AIDS and tuberculosis diagnoses. The six indicators with increases were Alzheimer’s disease, births to adolescent mothers, chlamydia, drug-induced deaths, low birth weight infants and suicide.

The report uses three-year averages to compare death rates and the reported incidence of certain health status indicators in 2003-2005 with those in 2006-2008. It shows the most dramatic decreases in the age-adjusted death rates and/or crude case rates per 100,000 population in the following 11 areas:

* Stroke: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 40.8 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 21.1 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 51.7

* Reported Incidence of AIDS: case rate for age 13 and over was 11.6 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 17.7 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 14.1

* Influenza/Pneumonia: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 19.6 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 17.6 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 23.8.

* Coronary Heart Disease: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 137.1 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 15.9 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 163.1.

* Reported Incidence of Tuberculosis: The 2006 through 2008 case rate for tuberculosis was 7.2 cases per 100,000 population, a decrease of 13.3 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 8.3.

* Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 10.3 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 12.7 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 11.8.

* Firearm-Related: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 8.5 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 9.6 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 9.4.

* Prostate Cancer: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 21.8 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 8.4 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 23.8.

* Lung Cancer: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 38.1 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 8.2 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 41.5.

* Colorectal Cancer: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 14.7 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 8.1 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 16.0.

* Homicide: The 2006 through 2008 age-adjusted death rate was 6.3 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 7.4 percent from the 2003 through 2005 rate of 6.8.

To download the full report, click here.

 

Newsom: Public Health faces $102 million deficit

Published: February 18, 2010 | No Comments

San Francisco General Hospital could be facing more budget cuts as the state's fiscal problems trickle down to the local level. Photo from UCSF, Paul Fusco.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom warned the city’s Health Commission Wednesday that the Department of Public Health could be facing another $100 million in budget cuts. This in a department that runs a hospital, San Francisco General, where the elevators are 30 years old and are run without a regular service contract. Here is an excerpt from the Mission Local blog (note that I have corrected their reference to the federal money for California from millions to billions):

“You have the largest budget, and the largest general fund of any city department,” Newsom said, addressing the commission. “You have never had budget cuts at the same level as other city departments. Arguably, you have the toughest job in the city. And yet, layoffs must be on the table again.”

The problem, Newsom said, was that the state of California had built its budget on the assumption that it would get $6.6 billion to $8.3 billion from the federal government. Instead, that amount now looks to be more along the lines of $1.5 billion.

Which means that, after already deep cuts, the Department of Public Health will need to either make further cuts, or raise money to makeup the shortfall on its own.

“I don’t know what they can possibly do to get out of this mess,” Newsom said to the commission, clearly agitated. “We have Pelosi, Feinstein, and Boxer. No city in America has more political influence than we do. But it looks like layoffs must be on the table again.

“The $49 million that was in San Francisco’s rainy day reserve fund is now down to $25 million. Last year we had federal stimulus money, which was a one-time solution. Every day we delay means we will have a greater risk of not balancing our budget.”

“I suggest you look into revenue strategies,” Newsom said. “I just met with the director of Park and Recreation about this and I thought some of his revenue ideas were brilliant, and others were the worst I’d ever heard. I’m not going to tell you which were the worst.”

“Good luck! We’re all in this together!” And with that the mayor turned around and walked out in an exaggerated vaudevillian tiptoe.

 
 
 

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