A case of whooping cough was reported at Bayfield High School on Wednesday.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, can be severe in young children and infants.
San Juan Basin Health (SJBH) reminds residents that during winter months, pertussis becomes more common, as it is a highly contagious disease. While adult cases of pertussis are not typically severe, the intensity of the cough can lead to rib fractures and other complications. For babies and children, this preventable disease can be deadly. To best protect the youth in our community from pertussis it is important for adults to stay up to date on their immunizations.
If a student contracts pertussis, five days of an antibiotic is required before he or she can return to school.
A free clinic offering Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccines will be offered to the community from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. SJBH is coordinating this free clinic for adults with community partners to exercise public health emergency response.
Since Jan. 1, 2015, 26 cases of pertussis have been diagnosed in Southwest Colorado, with 20 of these reported in school-aged children. Sixteen cases of pertussis have been reported since Sept. 1.
While not common today, tetanus is a serious life-threatening disease. Infection can occur when bacteria gets into the body through broken skin usually through injuries from contaminated objects, such as puncture wounds, crush injuries, or burns. Tetanus can cause headache, jaw cramping, sudden, involuntary muscle tightening, painful muscle stiffness all over the body, trouble swallowing, jerking or staring (seizures), fever, and sweating.
Both SJBH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend tetanus, and pertussis vaccination in both youths and adults. The Tdap booster is suggested every five years for adults to maintain pertussis immunity, while tetanus boosters are needed every ten years.Â
For more information on tetanus and pertussis, visit www.sjbhd.org or www.cdc.org.
