BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - Public health officials are expressing concern about an outbreak of whooping cough in Brookline.
Cases have spiked to more than a dozen over the last few weeks; officials reported the first case at Brookline High School on June 5. Parents at John D. Runkle Elementary School were also notified about a positive case there, as well.
Now, officials say 15 people in town have tested positive for pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
Pertussis is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs and a person’s breathing. It spreads from person to person by coughs and sneezes and has been proven to be serious for very young children.
Health and Human Services said the risk of infection is extremely low, but are encouraging people to stay up to date with their shots.
“The CDC does recommend that everyone get one dose of the Tdap, which is the adult version of the vaccine, and then they say every 10 years, you should get a booster,” said Dr. Shira Doron, chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine.
“It looks a very specific way, which is that you’ve got these violent coughing fits that are so severe you end up drawing in a breath at the end of the coughing fit that sounds like a whoop, which is where it gets its nickname — whooping cough,” Doron continued.
Doron said she isn’t surprised by the number of cases and that outbreaks happen from time to time. She said the symptoms tend to be mild in older children and adults.
Brookline High School said 99 percent of its seniors are vaccinated.
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