HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
More cases have been confirmed in an outbreak of Whooping Cough at two Madison County schools.
There are now six confirmed cases of Whooping Cough. Five are at Riverton Intermediate and one is at Mount Carmel.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, it only takes two confirmed cases to be considered an outbreak.
Whooping Cough can affect everyone, but it mostly affects infants and young children. It can be fatal, especially in babies under one year old.
Symptoms include runny nose, low grade fever, and the onset of rapid coughing fits.
Without vaccination, Whooping Cough can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and death.
The vaccine consists of a series of five injections, typically given to children at these ages:
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 12 to 18 months
- 4 to 6 years
The CDC says the Tdap vaccine given to infants and toddlers can wear off when children get older. A booster should be given to children when they are between 11 and 12 years old.
School children are required to have vaccines before they enter school. The health department says the best way to prevent the spread of whooping cough is to get the vaccine.
"Vaccines are safe everything they thought research is coming back saying it is not. Vaccines are extremely safe and extremely reliable," said disease expert Blake Weber.
If you or your child have any symptoms, call your primary doctor.
In 2010, more than 27,000 cases of pertussis or whooping cough were reported in the U.S., but many more went undiagnosed and unreported.
Coughing fits, due to the infection can last for up to ten weeks or more.
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Six cases of Whooping Cough have been confirmed in Madison County.
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