Alert on whooping cough

They’re cracking down finally and taking it more seriously: parent

One parent is concerned a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening illness is “out of hand” after a private school sent out new, stricter requirements for students who present with the disease.

Queensland has recorded 2256 confirmed cases of whooping cough since the start of the year, 91 per cent up from last year (202 cases), according to the Queensland Health’s notifiable disease registry.

Of those cases, 204 were in the Darling Downs, with half of them appearing in the last month.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection which can be life threatening in babies and young children, and vaccination is the recommended course of action, particularly for young children, pregnant women, and anyone in contact with newborns.

After receiving alerts and letters from Downlands College regarding the disease, parents with students at the school received an email this week outlining strict new regulations in order to contain the infection.

In consultation with the Darling Downs Public Health Unit, the school released a course of action to combat the disease, requiring students who present with symptoms of whooping cough to be picked up, isolate or stay at home, seek treatment immediately, and not return to school until testing negative or five days after antibiotic treatment.

Concerned parents, speaking on anonymity, told News Corp they were glad “they’re cracking down finally and taking it more seriously”.

“I think they have been trying hard to contain it, but really needed to drive the message home to parents that sick kids are to be isolated,” they said.

“I’d be shocked if an outbreak like this is just limited to Downlands too.”

Australian Medical Association Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said whooping cough “deserved to be taken seriously” especially with the increase in numbers and supported anyone taking necessary precautions around the disease.

She said whooping cough spiked every few years, and this year was looking particularly bad alongside the increase of other respiratory illnesses such as RSV and influenza, putting further strain on hospitals and health practitioners.

She urged anyone with overdue vaccinations to get vaccinated as soon as possible, seek medical care and advice, and if in an emergency with a young child, to call triple-0.

“I’d be shocked if an outbreak like this is just limited to Downlands Concerned parent