Whooping Cough Confirmed In Lower Merion School District

The Lower Merion School District is warning parents and guardians of three whooping cough cases that were confirmed in Welsh Valley Middle School recently.

According to the district's letter to parents and guardians, no cases have been confirmed in any of the district's other schools.

"We have notified the parents and guardians of Welsh Valley students and provided recommendations from the Montgomery County Health Department," the letter said. "Although there have been no reported cases in other schools, we believe it is important to share this important health information with the larger school community."

The district is urging parents and guardians to contact healthcare providers if their child has cold symptoms that include coughing.

"It is important that you inform the health care provider that there have been recent cases of pertussis in the school community," the letter said.

Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent whooping cough, known as pertussis scientifically.

The district provided whooping cough vaccine recommendations:

• If your child is under the age of 7 years and has not received the full recommended vaccination series (DTaP at 2, 4 and 6 months, first booster at 15 -18 months and second booster at 4 - 6 years), please contact your pediatrician and complete the vaccination schedule.
• Children ages 7 -10 who have not received the full recommended vaccination series should receive a dose of Tdap at the earliest opportunity.
• Persons between the ages of 11 and 64 who have not received a previous dose of Tdap vaccine should receive a single dose. No minimum interval since a previous dose of Td needs to be observed.
• Persons aged 65 and older may also receive a single dose of Tdap vaccine, as directed by their primary care physician.

"Immunity to pertussis may wane over time especially as children near the recommended age for a booster vaccine," the letter said. "Fully vaccinated children can contract pertussis; however the illness in vaccinated children may be mild."

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness that has seen an increase in cases nationally in recent years, the district said. The bacteria is spread through air that has droplets from a sneezing or coughing person who is infected with the illness. It can also be spread by direct contact with fluids from noses.

"Infants under one year are most likely to experience severe illness if they develop pertussis," the district said. "When possible, young infants should be kept away from people with a cough. Infants with any coughing illness should be promptly evaluated by their pediatrician."

Contact healthcare providers, Montgomery County Health Department's Division of Communicable

Disease Control at (610) 278-5117, or the Health Services Office at 610 645-1829, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to learn more about whooping cough.

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