Families with children who attend a school in Weston were notified that a case of whooping cough was reported at the campus.
Families with children who attend a school in Weston were notified that a case of whooping cough was reported at the campus.
Parents said the principal of Country Isles Elementary School sent an email Monday saying students may have possibly been exposed to a case of the contagious illness.
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WATCH HEREA spokesperson with Broward County Public Schools said the student in question hasn't been on campus since before spring break and no additional cases have been reported.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial disease that spreads when the infected person coughs or sneezes. It usually begins with cold-like symptoms but serious symptoms can include coughing fits and even vomiting.
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Parents NBC6 spoke with said the principal has been very communicative. The Florida Department of Health in Broward also called parents on Monday to let them know of the situation and to advise them on what to watch out for.
“I wasn’t super concerned. I’m glad that I got notified really early on. My girls are generally really healthy and they’re vaccinated," parent Adriana Castro said.
The health department will be at the school on Wednesday for a free voluntary vaccination event for parents who are interested.
"I wasn’t too concerned because all of my kids are vaccinated," parent Kiersten Bertamini said. "For the kids that aren’t vaccinated I would say they’re doing a vaccine drive here. Go get your kids vaccinated because whooping cough is very serious and can lead to death unfortunately."
