Three Rutherford County Schools see cases of whooping cough
Parents at Oakland Middle School, Oakland High School, and McFadden School of Excellence should look out for symptoms.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WSMV) - Parents at Oakland Middle School, Oakland High School, and at the McFadden School of Excellence have all gotten calls that there are cases of whooping cough (pertussis) at each school. The reason they do this is because it’s highly contagious, and they want to make sure you’re watching out for symptoms and check their vaccination records.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Dr. William Schaffner says if your child has a cough they can’t seem to get rid of and if the cough comes in fits, it could be whooping cough.
It’s something almost every child is vaccinated for before they go to school but the immunity wears off after a few years, so Dr. Schaffner says to check that they’ve been boosted.
“It creates an infection in and around the throat, and then it causes a cough, and it’s often called the cough of a hundred days. It lasts a long time, and the other distinctive feature about the cough is that it occurs in groups,” Dr. Schaffner says.
The real danger comes in if whooping cough is spread to babies.
“A handful of infants die of whooping cough and that’s because an adult will bring that infection to the infant. That’s why obstetricians are saying to new moms and dads, ‘Don’t let anybody near that baby unless they’re up to date with their whooping cough vaccinations,‘” Dr. Schaffner said.
“The health department says pertussis has become more common throughout the state (and others) and so, we have had more than one case reported to us this year,” RCS shared in a statement to WSMV4 on Wednesday. “We always send out a notice to parents, so they are aware. We currently have been notified of three cases at different schools this week.”
This isn’t just happening in Rutherford County. According to the Center for Disease Control, cases are rising across the country and the most important thing they say you can do for yourself is get vaccinated.
“Whooping cough sounds like an old-fashioned disease, but it is making something of a comeback in the United States,” Dr. Schaffner said.
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