Health Officials Warn of Pertussis Outbreak in Park City
The Summit County Health Department is alerting parents about a pertussis outbreak.
Parents with kids in the Park City School District received a letter or an email about the health concern, which included facts about the highly contagious respiratory infection.
The letter reads: “To parents of children in the Park City School District,
As you are probably aware there is a Pertussis outbreak in the Park City area. This information is not to alarm you, but to help you understand and give you factual information. You may also have received a Pertussis Fact Sheet and an information letter about Pertussis outbreaks from a school nurse. Please review those documents carefully. You can read more information at http://health.utah.gov, and search for Pertussis.
The Summit County Health Department (SCHD) follows these protocols for excluding children during a Pertussis outbreak:
1. When there are 2 or more confirmed cases of Pertussis in a classroom, any child who has an exemption to the Pertussis containing vaccine is mandated to stay home for a period of 21 days, or complete a course of antibiotic therapy, see below. This is to protect the child from this disease which could make him/her very ill, and lead to hospitalization.
2. If the outbreak continues in the school or daycare/preschool setting, the exclusion of children with exemptions to Pertussis containing vaccine may be mandated by the SCHD. Again, this is to protect the unvaccinated child from becoming ill.
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Many parents are concerned that their child has contracted Pertussis even though they are fully immunized. First, THANK YOU for vaccinating your child! You are helping to protect the babies in our community, and others whose health is not perfect. The current Pertussis vaccine is not as effective as we would like it to be and the protection starts to decrease 5+ years after the last dose. However, an immunized child typically will have less symptoms of Pertussis and may not be able to spread the disease as would an unimmunized child with Pertussis. We typically see Pertussis outbreaks in children ages 4-5, before the booster for Kindergarten, and grades 5-6, before the booster for 7th grade. The vaccine is the only method we have currently to protect our babies who are the age group for highest risk for severe illness, hospitalization, and death!
Contacts to a positive case:
Fully immunized child: if the contact is in the same household as a positive case, SCHD recommends a course of antibiotics. This child may return to school immediately IF they do not have symptoms. If they have symptoms, they need to remain at home until the full course of antibiotics is completed and symptoms have resolved.
Child with exemption or not fully immunized: child is mandated to be out of school/daycare setting for 21 days, or must complete a course of antibiotics before returning to school. The SCHD does not prescribe antibiotics; the parent must contact the child’s physician to obtain a prescription.
If you have further questions please contact your physician, or the SCHD at 435-333-1500.”
