BILLERICA, Mass. — A Billerica high school community has been notified that a student was confirmed to have pertussis, or whooping cough.
Officials at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School said they were notified of the case by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the local Board of Health.
A school official said after they were notified they provided detailed information to students, as well as more specific information to those who may have been in close contact with the infected student.
Whooping cough is caused by bacteria that spreads from person to person with close contact, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. It’s usually mild in older children and adults, but can cause serious problems.
In Massachusetts it’s most common among people 10-years-old to 20-years-old who have lost the protection they received from childhood vaccines. Infants are also likely to get it since they are often too young to have full protection from the vaccines.
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