McHenry County Pertussis Outbreak Grows To 38 Cases

Another school, St. John Lutheran, Algonquin, has been added to the growing list of schools reporting pertussis cases.  Several schools on that list have reported an increase in the number of students affected with the contagious illness (as follows) –

CARY (31)
Cary-Grove High School (25),
Cary Junior High School (2),

Deer Path Elementary (3),

Briargate Elementary. (1)

CRYSTAL LAKE (5) 

Bernotas Middle School (1),

Lundahl Middle School (4)

ALGONQUIN (1)      

St John’s Lutheran Church and School (1)

LAKE IN THE HILLS (1)

Martin Elementary (1)

TWO VACCINATION CLINICS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED –

Saturday,  November 5 (9am-1pm)  

Algonquin Township Building,

3702 U.S. Hwy 14,

Crystal Lake

Wednesday, November 9 (3pm-7pm)

MCDH’s Crystal Lake office,

100 N Virginia Street

Crystal Lake

The cost is $50 per individual.  Medicaid is accepted for individuals aged 11-18.

A current card must be presented.

The vaccine cost is $15 for those aged 11-18 who are uninsured and underinsured, and uninsured adults aged 19 and older who meet income requirements.

Preventive Measures:

Frequent hand washing, respiratory hygiene (i.e., covering the mouth, coughing into tissues, disposing of tissues properly) and staying home when ill are important practices to limit the spread of infection.  Students who are receiving antibiotics need to remain at home for five (5) days to complete the course of treatment.  Returning to school earlier could allow pertussis to spread. MCDH reported 51 cases of pertussis in 2009 and 9 cases in 2010.

Pertussis is highly contagious and easily spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing.  Symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sneezing and low-grade fever can last several weeks and lead to complications like pneumonia, encephalitis or pulmonary hypertension. 

Pertussis is especially dangerous for infants who are not fully immunized (until 4-6 years old), those who are immune compromised, and older persons. If you or your child have symptoms or questions on whether the vaccine is needed, contact your physician. 

For more information on pertussis, visit www.mcdh.info or call MCDH’s hotline at 815-334-2800.