As the holiday season approaches, Three Rivers Public Health Department (3RPHD) reminds the community to take care to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like pertussis.
Before hosting or attending holiday gatherings, please consider if you and/or your family members have developed recent respiratory symptoms and/or have been exposed to a person with pertussis. While pertussis may have mild symptoms for some, it can be a very serious condition for those who are immunocompromised, as well as infants and pregnant women.
Pertussis is spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing. It can be serious, and sometimes deadly, for babies and young children, especially those who have not had all their recommended pertussis vaccines. Early symptoms of pertussis may appear like a common cold, including runny and/or stuffy noses, low-grade fevers, and mild coughs. Symptoms may become more serious as they develop, and coughing spells may end with gagging or vomiting.
Complications of pertussis include pneumonia, fainting or passing out, seizures, apnea (stopping breathing), and death.
As of November 13, there have been more than 10 cases of pertussis in the 3RPHD jurisdiction. There were zero cases in 2023. As families and friends gather for the holidays, there is a possibility that respiratory illnesses like pertussis may be spread.
To protect yourself and your family from whooping cough, 3RPHD recommends:
• Practice good respiratory hygiene, such as washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Check your pertussis vaccination status with your healthcare care provider and get vaccinated, if necessary.
• If you are experiencing symptoms, or if you think you have been exposed to a pertussis case, call your healthcare provider.
• If you are diagnosed with pertussis, follow antibiotic treatment and stay home for five days.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends pertussis vaccination for everyone. Vaccination is especially important for those who spend time around infants (who are not yet eligible for vaccination) and for pregnant women during the 27-36th week of pregnancy. Pertussis vaccines are very
effective. However, as pertussis is circulating in the community, there is a possibility that even a fully vaccinated person could catch the disease.
The illness is usually less severe, and people recover faster than those who aren’t vaccinated. It is important to know that vaccinated children and adults can still get and transmit pertussis.
Individuals who are diagnosed with pertussis should stay home from work, school, and other group settings (such as holiday gatherings) until they have completed five days of antibiotics. Household members or close contacts may also be prescribed prophylaxis antibiotics. Asymptomatic contacts receiving prophylaxis should not be excluded from their usual activities. Symptomatic contacts should be evaluated for pertussis.
For more information, call Three Rivers Public Health Department at 402-727-5396 or visit www.threeriverspublichealth.org.
