Whooping Cough

Whooping cough cases are continuing to increase across Victoria, particularly among school-aged children. We have had a couple of cases within our school and have heard of other students who were unwell over the holidays. If your child is unwell, they should not attend school. 

Whooping cough is a very contagious infection, mostly spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include:

· blocked or runny nose

· tiredness

· mild fever

· severe bouts of coughing, often followed by a ‘whooping’ sound on breathing.

Whooping cough can lead to life threatening infections in babies, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions that affect lung health.

Please see a doctor if you or your child develops whooping cough symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment will help reduce the spread of the infection.

Students diagnosed with whooping cough must not attend school. If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, they must not attend school for 21 days after the onset of the cough, or until they have received 5 days of antibiotic treatment. You must notify the school if your child is diagnosed with whooping cough.

To further reduce the spread of infection to your child and the school community, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 require that in some cases students who were in the same classroom as a student diagnosed with whooping cough should not attend school.

This exclusion is required by law. If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, please contact the school to let us know.

Thank you for your support in keeping our students, staff and broader community safe and well. We hope we can work together to protect the whole school community by following the recommended advice.

More information For more information about whooping cough, refer to the Better Health Channel.

Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough. The Department of Health recommends staying up to date with immunisations, including booster doses. A free booster dose of the pertussis vaccine is covered under the national immunisation program for students aged 12 to 13. 

If you are unsure about your child’s vaccination status for whooping cough, please discuss with an immunisation provider, such as your doctor.