Whooping Cough Case Confirmed in Summit

Summit, NJ -- One case of confirmed Pertussis (whooping cough) has been identified at Brayton School in Summit.

Summit Superintendent of Schools, June Chang and School Nurse Coordinator, Monica Cattano posted a letter on Jan. 14 about the confirmation of the disease on the district’s web site.

“Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air by a cough or a sneeze. Pertussis begins with cold symptoms and a cough, which become much worse over 1-2 weeks. Symptoms usually include a long series of coughing fits followed by a whooping noise. However, older children, adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop. There is generally only a slight fever,” the letter stated.

“People with Pertussis may have a series of severe coughing fits followed immediately by vomiting, turning blue, or difficulty catching breath. The cough is often worse at night, and cough medicines usually do not help alleviate the cough,” the letter continued.

Even if a child is up to date on shots, the student can still contract the disease. The school is urging any students who may have been in contact with someone with Whooping Cough to get antibiotics prescribed by a doctor to prevent them from becoming ill.

Here are a list of recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services in regards to Whooping Cough:

1. Infants under one year old, especially those under six months, are most likely to have severe symptoms if they develop Pertussis. When possible, young infants should be kept away from people with a cough. Infants with any coughing illness should be seen promptly by their doctor.
2. Pertussis vaccine has, until recently, been given only to children under 7 years old. However, a new adolescent and adult Pertussis booster vaccine is now available for person’s ages 10 – 64 years. If you have children who have not been completely immunized against Pertussis (particularly infants under one year) we recommend you now talk to your child’s doctor about the benefits of vaccination.
3. If your child comes down with cold symptoms that include a cough, talk to your child’s doctor immediately. Tell the doctor that Pertussis has been identified at your child’s school.
4. It is generally recommended that those persons having close contact with a Pertussis case receive antibiotics from their doctor to help prevent them from getting Pertussis.
5. Do not send your child to school if s/he has any signs or symptoms of Pertussis.

“We continue to monitor the situation at school and if additional actions to control the spread of Pertussis among pupils become necessary, we will again notify parents,” the school’s letter stated.

Parents with questions or concerns are directed to contact Carolyn Giaccio RN, Summit Public Health Nurse, at 908-522-3602.