Northern Health is warning parents that their child could have been in contact with a case of whooping cough.
On Tuesday (Jan. 15), Northern Health says one case was confirmed from Duchess Park Secondary School, and a letter was sent home to parents
“Only one case has been confirmed; it was confirmed on Tuesday, and the letter went out the next day to parents of students at the only affected school (Duchess Park)," Dr. Andrew Gray with Northern Health tells PrinceGeorgeMatters.
"It is possible that there are additional cases that have not been diagnosed, since symptoms can be quite similar to the common cold and people do not necessarily seek testing."
Northern Health says their main goal with whooping cough (pertussos) is to minimize any exposure to infants (under one-year of age).
Occasionally, there are years where many are affected, but that is not being seen this year yet.
Northern Health is asking students to be tested if they have symptoms of whooping cough.
"That way any additional confirmed cases can be treated and we can prevent further transmission, again with our main concern being for infants," Gray adds.
"This letter is a standard precaution that we usually take when a case of pertussis is identified in a school. We are also taking the opportunity to remind everyone to ensure that their vaccinations are up to date. Pertussis vaccinations are normally provided in infancy, at kindergarten age, and in grade 9. That said, pertussis vaccination is unfortunately not 100% effective. It reduces risk by a lot, but it is not a guarantee."
(via Northern Health)
