As the temperature begins to drop and classes begin to fill with sniffling students, illness becomes a pressing concern. This year, there is an illness to watch out for: pertussis, commonly referred to as the whooping cough, is back.

Northfield Campus Nurse, Joan Leiss said, “Cook County Department of Public Health informed us that the first student began to have symptoms of pertussis on August 20th. So far, we know of three freshman students who’ve been positively diagnosed with pertussis.” As of now, there have been no students diagnosed at the Winnetka campus.

This is not the first time whooping cough has hit New Trier. In the fall of 2006, the bacterial infection reached more than 30 students, causing a school-wide panic. The vaccine that protects against this infection was new as of 2005, and after the rapid spread through New Trier, Cook County ran a vaccine clinic in the school for students and staff in December of that year.

The outbreak prompted a story in the Chicago Tribune which reported, “The cluster of cases represents the worst outbreak in Illinois at this time, with a total of 472 cases reported statewide, officials said.”

One of the many concerns surrounding whooping cough regards canceling sporting events. In 2006 Superintendent Linda Yonke said about the issue, “The implications of canceling a sports season would be catastrophic for kids who are working on college scholarships. I certainly know if things don’t get better there are other steps they can take. But we haven’t reached that point yet.”

And this year school nurses want to ensure we don’t reach that point.

“All students are required to have Tdap vaccine to attend school. Many of the adult staff has had the vaccine as well. The vaccine does not completely protect a person, but it is the best we have right now,” said Leiss

The Tdap vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. These are all seen as potentially deadly bacterial infections and especially harmful for infants.

Although the vaccine was a big step towards eliminating the chance of getting Pertussis, it is not 100 percent reliable. “The best way to protect yourself is to have had the vaccine, but the vaccine is not perfect. Protect yourself with the basics: good hand washing, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, don’t share drinks from the same cup, bottle, etc, avoid hugging or kissing someone else who is sick and stay home if you are sick,” said Health Services Coordinator, Colleen Sheridan.

Students must make sure to pay attention to any symptoms they might be having. The signs and symptoms of pertussis are very similar to what one might feel when experiencing a common cold. It is important to be able to differentiate the two so that the proper antibiotics can be administered.

“Pertussis is caused by a bacterium, called ‘Bordetella Pertussis,’ Sheridan said. “At first, symptoms are similar to the common cold: a runny nose, sneezing, low grade fever and a mild occasional cough. The symptoms can progress to severe coughing, especially at night, and may last several weeks.”