Eden Prairie High School informed families on Dec. 18 about several reported cases of pertussis, also called whooping cough, among students.
In the message, Jaysen Anderson, the school’s principal, told families that the “Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) encourages you and your child to monitor for symptoms and be evaluated by a healthcare provider if you have a cough lasting longer than seven days.”
According to the MDH, pertussis can be a serious bacterial illness and generally begins with a runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and possibly a low-grade fever. After one or two weeks, the cough worsens and begins to occur in sudden, uncontrollable bursts. These coughing attacks can end in vomiting and/or in a high-pitched whooping noise, though older children and adults may have a less typical “whooping cough.” Coughing attacks often happen at night and can continue for up to three months.
The MDH advises that people with pertussis should not go to school, work, or any activities until they have finished five days of antibiotic treatment. The exception is if they have already been coughing for three or more weeks, at which point they are no longer contagious.
“If you or your child have a cough and have had contact with someone with pertussis, or you have been coughing for seven days or longer, MDH encourages you to discuss pertussis with your healthcare provider,” Anderson said.
While most children have been vaccinated for pertussis, protection can decrease over time. People who have completed some or all of the recommended vaccinations for pertussis may still become ill with a milder case of whooping cough.
It is possible to check an individual’s pertussis vaccination status through online immunization records or via one’s healthcare provider.
Anderson encouraged families to learn more about pertussis on the MDH website. He noted that questions can be directed to the school nurse, Caroline Schwieters, at Caroline_Schwieters@edenpr.k12.mn.us or 952-975-8074, or to the MDH by calling 1-877-676-5414.
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