TEXAS – In a state where parents are able to opt out of vaccinating their children for public school, the number of cases of whooping cough continue to rise.
On Wednesday, Leander Independent School District parents were notified that students may have been exposed to pertussis after a child tested positive. Last week, lawmakers at the Texas State Capitol were alerted that they were potentially exposed to whooping cough when a page of the House floor was diagnosed with the highly-contagious infection.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly-contagious respiratory tract infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinating children against pertussis to keep it from spreading.
Currently, Texas parents are allowed to use medical and conscientious exemptions to keep children from being vaccinated. The Texas Department of State Health Services statistics show that the number of kindergarten students being vaccinated has declined since 2017.
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Initial signs and symptoms:
- Takes seven to 10 days for symptoms to appear
- Starts as runny nose
- Nasal congestion
- Red and watery eyes
- Fever cough
After two weeks symptoms will worsen:
- Thick mucus collects in airways
- Uncontrollable coughing
- Vomiting
- Red or blue face
- Extreme fatigue
- High-pitched “whoop” sound when breathing
Dangers for infants
Deaths from whooping cough are most common in infants, who are too young to have had their full course of vaccinations. The danger is extremely high for infants under six months old, who might not cough and instead struggle to breath or stop breathing entirely.
An unvaccinated person can spread the infection to an infant. Pertussis is spread through an infected person coughing or sneezing. Germ droplets are sprayed out and can be inhaled into the lungs of anyone in the general vicinity.
Infant symptoms:
- Pneumonia
- Slowed or stopped breathing
- Dehydration
- Weight loss
- Seizures
- Brain damage
Prevention
According to the Mayo Clinic, the best prevention is vaccination beginning at 2 months old. The pertussis vaccine is a series of five shots administered at 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 months old, 15 to 18 months old and 4 to 5 years old.
If you have been exposed to whooping cough it is suggested that you contact your doctor immediately.
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