11 Dec 2017
There has been a recent incident of whooping cough (pertussis) reported at Tamworth High School
Coughing spreads the infection to others nearby. Whooping cough caught at school can spread to any younger brothers and sisters at home. Whooping cough can be especially dangerous for babies.
Whooping cough starts like a cold and progresses to bouts of coughing that can last for many weeks. Older children may just have a cough that is persistent and is worse at night. The infection can occur even in fully-vaccinated children.
- Children with symptoms should see a GP.
- If your doctor diagnoses whooping cough, please let the school know and keep your child at home until they have taken 5 days of antibiotics. Keep coughing children away from babies.
- Whooping cough vaccines give good protection against infection but immunity fades. If your school-aged child has younger siblings, it's a good idea to check that they are up to date with their vaccines.