Introduction
- Whopping cough is very contagious
- Whopping cough is also called pertussis
- Pertussis is serious and kills about one in two hundred babies
- Most people are immunised against the illness, so their risk of getting sick is small
Whopping cough is caused by a bacterium called Bordetella pertussis . It is spread from person to person when someone who has the illness coughs or sneezes. Symptoms usually appear a week to three weeks after being exposed to the illness. People who have whopping cough are contagious for the first three weeks they have the cough or for the first five days of antibiotic treatment.
Task
Brainstorm ways to prevent whopping cough:
Students should mention things like:
- Cover mouth when sneezing
- Cover mouth when coughing
- Vaccinations are given at two months, four months, six months and four years.
- A booster is given in secondary school
- If your child does get sick, keep her home from school and childcare until she is no longer contagious to prevent infecting other children
Process
Use the following internet site to research whopping cough.
Make a poster to install around the classrooms at school to make people aware of whopping cough and how it can be prevented:
http://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Whooping_cough/
http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/whooping-cough
http://www.kidspot.com.au/warning-whooping-cough-outbreak-fear-as-cases-rise/
Evaluation
Whole class discussion to discuss findings and present posters to peers.