We have recently seen many teenagers in our community with pertussis --otherwise known as whooping cough. Pertussis is a contagious disease that usually starts out with typical cold symptoms but can develop into an annoying and distinctive cough. For the teenagers who have already been immunized, pertussus is usually not a dangerous disease. Instead it is rather uncomfortable and can last for several weeks. The real concern with pertussis ispossible exposure to younger children in whom the disease can be much more serious.
If your child has been closely exposed to a person who has been diagnosed with whooping cough, but your child does not have a cough, please contact us so we can determine if your child might benefit from taking preventative antibiotics. If your childdoes have cold symptoms and you know there was a direct exposure to a person diagnosed with whooping cough, then please contact our office for an sowe can determine if your child has whooping cough and if antibiotics are needed.
