5 Whooping Cough Cases Confirmed at John Hersey High School: Health Department

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — The Cook County Department of Public Health has reported five confirmed cases of whooping cough at John Hersey High School, according to the Arlington Heights Post.

An email from Hersey's school nurse was sent to parents Thursday, Dec. 8, and it was the latest in a series of messages from the school concerning whooping cough cases in recent weeks, the report stated. Wednesday's email informed parents about a 12th-grader who was diagnosed with the illness, and it included a letter from the county health department that contained tips to prevent the disease, the report added.

The cases at Hersey are part of a spate of whooping cough diagnoses at suburban schools, the report stated. Four cases have been confirmed at Mount Prospect's Prospect High School, and three cases have been confirmed at Hillcrest Middle School in Wilmette, the report added.

Although whooping cough is highly infectious, an increase in cases in the winter isn't unusual, a health department spokeswoman told the Post. Suburban Cook County has had 111 confirmed whooping cough cases through October, and there were 171 cases in 2015, the report added.

Symptoms of whooping cough — known as pertussis — are similar to those of the common cold or flu but can increase to severe coughing fits that can create a high-pitched, "whooping" sound. The county health department advises parents to have their children receive the pertussis vaccine multiple times as an infant, with booster shots between ages 4 to 6, the Post reports.

More via the Arlington Heights Post

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