Parent/Guardian Sample Letter) (Use Your Schools Letterhead

April 5, 2016

Dear Parent/Guardian, A student in the 7th grade at Pennbrook Middle School was diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed pertussis (whooping cough). Your child may have been exposed. This information was reported to the Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) on Tuesday, April 05, 2016. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It can be serious in children up to seven years of age and in those who are not completely immunized against the disease. Bacteria are spread by inhaling infected droplets of a coughing or sneezing child or by direct contact with discharges from a running nose. Household members and close contacts that have been exposed to the infected child are at increased risk. The Montgomery County Health Department, in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, is making the following recommendations: 1) Parents should review each child’s health record to determine the vaccination status of the child. 2) Children should be observed over the next 2 weeks for any symptoms such as a running nose, sudden, uncontrollable bursts or spells of coughing that persist and sometimes cause vomiting. These symptoms should be reported immediately to your pediatrician. 3) If your child comes down with cold symptoms that include a cough, the child should be evaluated by his/her pediatrician. Evaluation should include a nasopharyngeal culture for pertussis. 4) Children with pertussis, if their medical condition allows, may return to school five (5) days after starting appropriate antibiotics and must continue taking the antibiotics until completed. 5) All household members and close contacts of a pertussis case should receive preventative antibiotics regardless of their age or vaccination status.

Pennbrook Middle School 1201 North Wales Rd., North Wales, PA 19454-2331 (215) 699-9287 Here are some helpful reminders regarding pertussis-containing vaccine for various age groups: 1) 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. 2) Children ages 7 –10 who have not received the full recommended vaccination series should receive a dose of Tdap at the earliest opportunity. 3) 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. 4) Persons aged 65 and older may also receive a single dose of Tdap vaccine, as directed by their primary care physician. Finally, infants under one year are most likely to experience severe illness if they develop pertussis. 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. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call Montgomery County Health Department, the Division of Communicable Disease Control at (610) 278-5117. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

James J. Galante Principal

Patricia Clark Patricia Clark School Nurse Pertussis (whooping cough) Fact Sheet

1. What is pertussis (whooping cough)? – Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breathes which result in a "whooping" sound.

2. Who gets pertussis? - Pertussis can cause serious illness in infants, children and adults and can even be life-threatening, especially in infants.

3. How do you get pertussis? - People with pertussis usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Many infants who get pertussis are infected by older siblings, parents or caregivers who might not even know they have the disease.

4. How soon do symptoms start? – Symptoms of pertussis usually develop within 7 – 10 days after being exposed, but sometimes not for as long as 6 weeks.

5. What are the symptoms of pertussis? - Pertussis begins as a mild illness like the common cold. Sneezing, runny nose, low-grade fever, and mild coughing progress to severe coughing. Some persons have episodes of rapid coughing followed by a high-pitched whoop as they take a deep breath. Not everyone with pertussis has a whooping cough, especially very young infants. Severe cough may continue for many weeks despite proper treatment. Symptoms may be milder in older children and adults. However, pertussis can be a serious disease, especially in infants and young children. Complications can include pneumonia, dehydration, seizures, encephalopathy, and death.

6. How is pertussis diagnosed? – Diagnosis is based on the recovery of the bacteria from nasopharyngeal specimens obtained early in the course of the disease.

7. How is pertussis treated? - Pertussis is generally treated with antibiotics and early treatment is very important. Treatment may make your infection less severe if it is started early, before coughing fits begin. Treatment can also help prevent spreading the disease to close contacts (people who have spent a lot of time around the infected person) and is necessary for stopping the spread of pertussis. Treatment after three weeks of illness is unlikely to help because the bacteria are gone from your body, even though you usually will still have symptoms. This is because the bacteria have already done damage to your body.

8. How can pertussis be prevented? The single best control measure is adequate vaccination.

9. For more information about pertussis: http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html

This fact sheet provides general information. Please contact your physician for specific clinical information.