Whooping Cough Information for School Communities

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) is Circulating in the Community

The Health Department is reporting that cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, are on the rise in some areas of Vermont. While most cases have occurred in Washington and Lamoille Counties, cases have occurred across Vermont. Most cases have been among school-aged children. Now is a good time to make sure you and your family are up to date with whooping cough vaccination (DTap or Tdap). Be on the lookout for symptoms in your family. Please keep sick children at home to help protect our school community and if your child is diagnosed with pertussis, notify the school. Contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

About Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that spreads easily from person-to-person through the air in respiratory droplets when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes. While vaccination against whooping cough is effective, protection from the vaccine fades over time. People who are vaccinated can still get whooping cough, but their illness is often milder, and they are less likely to spread the illness to others.

Symptoms

Early in the illness, whooping cough appears like a common cold. Symptoms may include runny or stuffy nose, low-grade fever, and a mild cough. After one to two weeks, people may develop rapid, violent, and uncontrollable coughing fits that can last six weeks or more.

Coughing fits can cause people to:

Make a high-pitched "whoop" when they inhale

Vomit during or after coughing

Struggle to breathe

Stop breathing momentarily

Have difficulty sleeping at night

Feel tired

Fracture (break) ribs

Whooping cough is very serious for babies. About one in three babies who are younger than one year old and get whooping cough need hospitalization. Many babies don’t have a cough at all. Instead, they may experience choking episodes or periods where they stop breathing.

Vaccination

The best way to prevent whooping cough is to get vaccinated with the DTaP or Tdap vaccine, which are recommended for everyone. It’s recommended that pregnant people get vaccinated during the third trimester of every pregnancy to provide protection to their baby before birth.

Treatment

It’s very important to treat whooping cough early, before coughing fits begin. Antibiotic treatment early in the illness can help make symptoms less severe, shorten the length of illness, and decrease the contagiousness of the person who is sick. People with whooping cough are no longer considered contagious after just five days of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Without appropriate treatment, they are considered contagious for 21 days after the start of their cough.

After Exposure to Whooping Cough: Preventive Treatment with Antibiotics

People may need to receive antibiotics if they’ve had close or prolonged contact with someone with whooping cough. People with an uncertain amount of exposure should talk to their healthcare provider if they live in a household with a person at high risk of severe pertussis such as a young infant or pregnant woman, or a person who has contact with infants. Preventive antibiotics are also known as postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis (PEP). These are medicines given to someone who has been exposed to harmful bacteria to help prevent them from getting sick and to prevent further spread of the disease. These medicines are very effective. They may have side effects, which are often mild and go away on their own.

If you are notified that your child may have been in close contact with a person with pertussis while at school, you should consult with their healthcare provider to determine if PEP is needed.

It’s Ok to Have Questions about Vaccines

Many people may have questions and concerns about vaccines. Asking questions helps you make the best choices for yourself and your family. Your doctor or pharmacist can provider answers and help you decide which vaccines are right for you.

Like any medicine, vaccines can cause side effects. They're usually mild, like a sore arm or feeling tired for a day or two.

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