Preventable diseases are making a troubling comeback in Santa Cruz County, with whooping cough cases already rising to 33 this year already and measles spreading across California. Most of the cases are starting in middle and high schools, write local pediatric providers. They warn that declining vaccination rates and missed boosters are leaving children, especially infants, vulnerable. The risks of these highly contagious illnesses are real, they write, and stress routine immunizations remain the strongest defense. The moment is urgent: Staying up to date on vaccines will protect us all.
