Pertussis afflicts Samo

In recent weeks, Samo’s campus has seen an increase in the presence of pertussis (often referred to as “whooping cough”), a highly contagious respiratory disease. There have been about 15 reported cases of pertussis at Samo thus far, however, the actual number is potentially higher due to parents not informing the school that their child has whooping cough. The cases of pertussis have been primarily in the 11th and 12th grades. According to emedicinehealth.com, whooping cough first presents itself by resembling a common cold, with a runny nose, cough and sometimes low-grade fever that typically last for two weeks. Symptoms during these weeks can be treated with a five-day course of antibiotics. The second, or paroxysmal, stage can last from one to ten weeks, and is characterized by intense bouts of coughing averaging at 15 attacks per 24 hours, occurring more frequently at night. During this stage, vomiting can accompany the coughing spells. The third and final stage of whooping cough is the convalescent stage, which can last for weeks or sometimes months, but has fewer outbursts of sudden coughing. Avoiding treatment for whooping cough can lead to a serious infection progressing from the throat and windpipe into a lung infection known as pertussis pneumonia.  While whooping cough is rare and there are less than 200,000 cases in the US per year alone, it has become increasingly common due to a switch in vaccination methods, coupled with people opting out of vaccinations. Although whooping cough is an airborne disease, it can still affect students who have already received their vaccination if it is circulating throughout the community. This explains why vaccinated students have been susceptible to infection at Samo; with their vaccination, the infections have been less severe. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics News and Journals, this sudden increase in pertussis cases is most attributed to the switch from the whole-cell pertussis vaccine to the acellular vaccine. A whole-cell vaccine is made from whole tumor cells that have been changed in a laboratory, while an acellular vaccine is produced from cellular material but does not contain complete cells. Patients receiving the whole-cell pertussis vaccine experienced side effects including swelling in the arm where the shot was given. Use of the acellular vaccine resulted in a decrease in such side effects, however, it also saw a decrease in the efficiency of the vaccine. While the whole-cell vaccination provides protection from the virus for five years, the acellular vaccination has not seemed to provide protection for as long. This could be another reason why the senior and junior classes, who received the vaccination prior to the underclassmen, have been affected more by the virus. When a Samo student goes to the nurse with pertussis-like symptoms, they are immediately sent home and cannot attend school until being cleared by a pediatrician. If they do have pertussis, they must take antibiotics for five days before returning to school. The parents of the student are also required to inform the school that their child has pertussis. The nurse’s office will then give presentations to the classes of the diagnosed student, informing other students of their exposure; this procedure has been practiced several times. However, there have also been students who have contracted pertussis and withheld information regarding their diagnosis in order to attend school, potentially infecting their fellow students.                                                                  Once the virus had affected more than eight students, the nurse sent a school-wide email that officially informed the entire Samo community of the prevalence of the virus on campus. The number of reported cases continued to rise after this email was sent out and the virus will continue to stay active during the surveillance period, which is expected to end on October 22. Due to the rapid spreading of whooping cough at Samo, students and staff should remain cautious of any symptoms they may be experiencing and should be tested immediately in order to protect the health of themselves and the Samo community.