As Fayette County students prepare to return to school, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department urges parents to make sure their kids are properly vaccinated against pertussis.

Pertussis, or “whooping cough,” is a highly contagious respiratory illness spread by coughing and sneezing. The pertussis vaccine is routine and required for school-age kids. There have been 53 cases of pertussis reported in Fayette County in 2012, with 16 in children ages 5-11, an age when the vaccine’s protection has started to weaken.

The early symptoms are similar to a common cold: runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and coughing. After 1-2 weeks, the cough gets worse, changing from a dry, hacking cough to bursts of uncontrollable, often violent, coughing. During a coughing episode, it might be temporarily impossible to take a breath because of the intensity and repetition of the coughs. When finally able to breathe, the person might take a sudden gasp of air, which can cause a “whooping” sound. Vomiting and exhaustion can often follow a coughing spell.

Anyone with these symptoms should visit a physician for diagnosis and treatment. Pertussis is treated with antibiotics. For more information about pertussis, call 231-9791.

One dose of the Tdap vaccine is recommended in adulthood for protection. New parents are targeted as they are most likely to transmit disease to young children who can experience very serious illness or death. Pregnant women who have never had a dose of Tdap should get one.

For additional information, find the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/LFCHD.