County to Hold Free Vaccination Clinics in 9 MCPS Schools

With an outbreak of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, in Montgomery County, the Department of Health and Human Services will hold free vaccination clinics Sept. 9, 10 and 11 at nine MCPS schools.

About 4,200 seventh-graders in Montgomery County have yet to get the proper vaccinations in order to attend school. This could lead to students being kept out of school, according to Montgomery Community Media.

All Maryland students entering seventh grade must have one Tdap (Tetnus-diptheria-acellular pertussis) vaccination and one meningococcal (MCV4) vaccination.

The total number of cases of pertussis in Montgomery County is now 15, with the latest being a sickened student from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Patch reports.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, pertussis spreads easily from person to person through coughing and sneezing. Patients are generally treated with antibiotics, which are used to control the symptoms and to prevent infected people from spreading the disease. Vaccination can often prevent the disease.

The disease is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe, says the CDC. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a “whooping” sound. Pertussis most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies less than 1 year of age.

Anyone diagnosed is reported to the Maryland Health Department and then in turn reported to the county’s health agency. Symptoms include a runny nose and a cough that sounds similar to a bark, according to the CDC.

The free vaccination clinics will run from 3 to 7 p.m. at these locations:

Tuesday, September 9

• Roberto Clemente Middle School, 18808 Waring Station Road, Germantown
• Eastern Middle School, 300 University Blvd. East, Silver Spring
• Julius West Middle School, 651 Great Falls Road, Rockville

Wednesday, September 10

• Briggs Chaney Middle School, 1901 Rainbow Drive, Silver Spring
• Forest Oak Middle School, 651 Saybrooke Oaks Blvd., Gaithersburg
• Parkland Middle School, 4610 West Frankfort Drive, Rockville

Thursday, September 11

• Benjamin Banneker Middle School, 14800 Perrywood Road, Burtonsville
• Rocky Hill Middle School, 22401 Brick Haven Way, Clarksburg
• Silver Spring International Middle School, 313 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring

Appointments are required and can be made by calling 311 or visiting the Department of Health and Human Services website.

Patch file photo