WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
An outbreak of whooping cough has struck up to 30 people in St. Joseph County, largely in the Amish community.
Val Newton, prevention services director for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, announced details of the outbreak last week.
Because of recent gatherings for weddings and church meetings among the Amish community, Newton said she is concerned the cold-like disease could spread to Branch and Hillsdale communities.
She said the illness has been traced to a single family, starting with a few kids and has grown by significant proportions. The family is declining treatment, Newton said.
The disease usually starts with cold-like symptoms and in some cases a mild cough or fever.
Newton said she and her staff members are meeting wth Amish bishops to encourage them to have members get immunizations.
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If people don’t want to have their kids immunized then those children should not be allowed contact with others. A parent is allowed to do what they think is best but a decision possibly injuring others due to your actions is not acceptable. Also, the idea that you would put your own child at risk is abhorrent. You can claim religious freedom which is your right but infecting others is not.