Health & medicine (Credit: LevittownNow)
Penndale Middle School Principal Stefan Muller confirmed a case of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, at the Lansdale Borough school Tuesday afternoon.
According to an email sent to middle school parents in North Penn School District, the Montgomery County Office of Public Health identified one case of pertussis at the school, reported to them on Tuesday.
Pertussis is a very contagious disease and spread when a person with the disease coughs or sneezes. The infected person can spread the disease for several weeks unless treated.
It is unknown what grade the student is in with pertussis.
Other details on the student are unknown.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, after exposure to pertussis, initial symptoms resemble a mild cold, including low fever, runny nose, and mild cough, which makes it easy to miss early on.
In the second stage, the illness can turn serious: prolonged, intense coughing fits — sometimes ending in a “whoop” sound when inhaling — vomiting after coughing, difficulty breathing, trouble sleeping, and fatigue.
Pertussis can be especially dangerous in babies and very young children, who are more likely to develop complications such as pneumonia, breathing problems, or even life-threatening symptoms — and in some cases, require hospitalization.
According to the CDC, outbreaks are fairly common in settings like schools, childcare centers, and other community gathering spots.
In Pennsylvania, vaccination against pertussis is required for school attendance, however there are exemptions.
Children need not be immunized if a physician or the physician's designee provides a written statement that immunization may be detrimental to the health of the child. When the physician determines that immunization is no longer detrimental to the health of the child, the child shall be immunized according to this subchapter.
There is also a religious exemption: Children need not be immunized if the parent, guardian or emancipated child
objects in writing to the immunization on religious grounds or on the basis of strong moral or ethical
conviction similar to religious belief.
The state mandates that children receive a series of doses of a combination vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis — commonly known as DTaP vaccine for younger children.
The typical DTaP schedule recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is five doses by early childhood: at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15–18 months, and 4–6 years.
For middle school age and adults, there is a booster vaccine for DTaP — usually given at 11–12 years of age.
Pennsylvania maintains a statewide immunization registry (the Pennsylvania Statewide Immunization Information System or PA-SIIS) where vaccination records can be stored — though reporting to it is voluntary.
If you’re unsure about your child’s vaccination history, PA offers a way to request immunization records at no cost.
