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Mldhood disease can he dangerous
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THE BATTALION Page 3
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1977
Rubella cases rise across nation
nta
By SARAH E. WHITE
ffieported cases of rubella (Ger-
sm measles), a dangerous disease
Inborn children, are up over last
tar’s figures and many of the cases
is year occurred on college cam
ps.
Rationally, 19,414 cases of rubella
ire reported by Novemenber 26
d format I s y ear F° r the same period of
'reject of last year, 11,492 cases were
ported.
Jlmost four times as many cases
bella were reported this year in
is than were reported last year
November 5.
jtubella is a childhood disease
: h Santa' I causes little if any discomfort to
Dec, IJ le victim. The symptoms are a
rth Santa sb, fever and a headache. These
■ Tickets Moms can be undetectable in
’Us, Kin. Le people or may be diagnosed as
Tickets bella when they really result from
illergy
he danger of rubella is to unborn
idren. The virus can cause mal-
ations of the fetus if a pregnant
len contracts the disease in the
three months of pregnancy,
he virus “likes” nerve tissue and
fit jages the central nervous system
v he fetus while it is in its early
, L ,, elopment, said Dr. Claude
swick, director of Texas A&M
iversity’s Beutel Health Center,
i pregnant woman could be un-
ire having rubella and her child
develop many problems. These
!ude congenital cataracts, deaf-
Itism, mental retardation, heart
lease, anemia, hepatitis,
diomotor retardation, delayed
ech development and deafness.
'tion
lation is
violence
'ted the
'Quid go
oswick said as many as 80 per-
: of women who are exposed and
tract rubella in their first three
nths of pregnancy give birth to
Idren with defects.
tesearch shows the incidence of
il infection in the first trimester
jregnancy varies from 47 to 90
cent.
iubella can be transmitted very
ckly and easily. If an infected
jld is walking down the street
|ghing and a pregnant woman
p need not know she is pregnant)
Jses the child, the woman can be
osed and can contract rubella.
hildren are not the only carriers
ubella. Many cases reported this
ssumed rwere on college campuses, said
simply P 1 Walch, public health adviser
ilicanfs phe immunization division of the
■ommit- r as Department of Health.
oswick said college campuses
J Texas A&M are active areas for
j virus because people are close
iether in crowded classroonis and
who re-
tal mur-
'or. The
hard D.
nanche,
ew trial
not con-
e would
ire
tarings
mses to
Dlower,
ngb
bling a
;ay the
Steven
ywood
•ed his
n
y out
riling
vhich
con-
Gulf
ector
rt he
:nch-
from
nzoil
buildings. He said he has seen a
handful of rubella cases this calen
dar year. He added that he expected
more of an epidemic because the
disease passes so quickly. Some stu
dents with rubella may not have
noticed the symptoms, had the
symptoms or gone to the health cen
ter for treatment.
Although Goswick said the risks
of rubella outbreaks and possible
fetal infection can warrant a mass
immunization program for students,
financial and legal problems surface
quickly.
The vaccine costs money and the
program must be financed.
Because it is limited, state money
is restricted to funding the vaccine
for measles, mumps and rubella for
the susceptible 15-month through
5-year-old children. State supplied
rubella vaccine cannot be given to
person over 12 years.
The health center also encounters
legal problems with the mass im
munizations of women in the child
bearing age.
The vaccination gives the person
a case of rubella. Therefore, if a
woman in the child-bearing age
group is vaccinated, and pregnant,
the child can be born deformed.
Usually a woman in that age group
must sign a release for the adminis
tering agency saying that she is not
pregnant and will not get pregnant
for three months following the im
munization. This precaution is taken
because it is not known what dam
age the vaccine may have on the
fetus.
Mass immunization of men has no
legal complications because men
cannot be adversely affected by the
vaccine. Immunizing men would
prevent the disease being carried to
pregnant women. However, financ
ing the program is still a problem
and Goswick said students are not
usually responsive to mass immuni
zation campaigns.
Goswick said he encourages men
to go ahead and have the disease
rather than pay the cost of the vac
cination.
Alternative solutions included
immunizing school children and
blood titer (HI) examinations for
women in the child-bearing age
group.
State law requires all elementary
school children be immunized
against rubella.
Bryan schools allow new students
two weeks to get rubella immuniza
tions after their arrival. The schools’
immunizations records are not com
plete at this time. The school nurse
ES helps people
ight fuel cost
c na-
:s he
at a
egel,
n no
i the
ittee
By MARGIE KOVAR
iVhen contact with the masses
s, try to reach the individuals.
Phis is the strategy used by the
vly organized Texas Energy Ex-
ision Service (EES) to help
ople fight high fuel use and
ts.
We are trying to reach specific
>ups rather than large groups of
ople and are urging them to
serve energy, ” said Dr.
iphen Riter, director of the
tewide program with headquar-
s on the Texas A&M University
npus.
Area offices are located in San
tonio, El Paso, Arlington, Hous-
) and Lubbock and are designed
work with specific groups. One
ogram is being carried out at
lirie View A&M and is designed
reach people with limited re-
urces. <
Incredible percentages of these
ople’s budgets go to energy bills
heating and transportation,”
d Riter. “Therefore, they have
— without other things.
We are using their peers to
teach them to save fuel and lower
their bills by doing such things as
fixing broken windows and using
wood for heating fuel.
“After all, about 18 percent of
the state’s population is below the
poverty level.”
Offices in El Paso, San Antonio
and Arlingotn are run by the Uni
versity of Texas System. The Lub
bock office is under the direction
of the Texas Agricultural Extension
Service. The University of Hous
ton runs the Houston office and
has geared its program toward
hospitals.
“This extension service is a pilot
program,” said Larry Perrine,
manager of the main office at Texas
A&M. “After two years there will
be an evaluation to see how the
program is working.”
Pamphlets have been printed for
each of the groups with advice on
fuel conservation in such areas as
building construction, insulation
and solar energy use.
The EES is one of 10 state pro
grams funded by a $1.1 million
federal grant.
refused to comment.
Diane Chester, A&M Consoli
dated Middle School nurse, said
with the exception of new students
moving into the area, all elementary
and middle school students are im
munized against rubella.
She explained that the school
usually allows new students 10 days
to get the vaccination. Many times
they must wait for the child’s im
munization records to arrive from
the previous school. If they have not
complied by this time, the school
sends a final notice and turns the
problem over to the school principal
who will call the parents and give
them time to comply. Finally the
child is removed from school until
the parents comply.
Chester said the A&M schools are
above the 90 percentile ranking in
all immunization.
The blood test is the alternative to
mass immunization of women in the
child-bearing age group. This test
determines whether the woman has
antibodies to rubella or not. If she
has antibodies she does not need the
vaccination; if she does not have an
tibodies, she should be immunized
immediately. If, however, she is
pregnant and has been exposed to
rubella, abortion is legal because
the baby may be born with a defect.
The health center will give titers,
but the student pays the $9 cost.
winds
jpp® r
iance
IWXhdlbX WX **tt*HV*tf tty ******
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Tues., Wed., Thurs. 2 p.m.-9 p.m.
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FM 2223, Old Wheelock Road (off Tabor Road)
823-3965
Offer good thru Dec. 15, 1977
Come see us before
, Christmas!
Ill Boyett St. /Nf-xt to Campus Theatre)
The Texas Department of Health
began a rubella screening program
in August which consists of titer
tests for women aged 18 to 30. In
some cases younger females are
tested. Though scheduled to end in
October, the tests are being con
tinued because of the 5,000 allotted
tests, only 1,087 were filled by the
end of October.
Hopefully, 90 percent of the
women will have an antibody
against rubella, Walch said. If there
are less, the department will proba
bly make a recommendation for fur
ther rubella screening, he said.
The Brazos County health units
was allotted 200 titer tests which
they give free. A spokesman for the
unit said they are nearing the 200
mark now. They only give the test to
females who know they have not
had the shot.
Rubella will never be handled
with an epidemic approach, Walch
says.
A Texas State Department of
Health pamphlet reports the last
major rubella epidemic occurred in
1964. Thirty thousand miscarriages
or stillbirths and 20,000 children
were born with defects as a result.
The pamphlet estimates that it will
cost over $3 billion dollars to take
care of and educate these children
until they are 18 years old.
They’re Here!
From Germany i? Europe:
• Christmas Ornaments
• Nutcrackers • Pyramids
• The famous Effanbee dolls (since 1910)
& other collector dolls
• and other gifts from all over
the world
Happy Cottage
facross from Luby’s)
mf'pi
for that
j • i
someone special..«
Santa says, "A gift certificate for a new hair
style, with one of our professionals, a facial
with Lucia Adams or a make-up session with
Debi Bavousett will please him or her this
Christmas season/'
Hair Design
for Men & Women
cllji|p/
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if