Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and could take some time to rest and relax.  It was lovely to hear the excited greetings and chats from the children as they shared holiday stories and caught up with each other. We have a jam-packed and exciting term ahead, so let's enjoy Term Four.

This is the latest correspondence from the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit.

RE: Pertussis (whooping cough) Outbreak Notification   

 There has been a recent diagnosis of pertussis (whooping cough) in three children who attended St Mary’s Primary School, Yarram, during the month of September 2024.  

To prevent further spread of pertussis (whooping cough) to others in the school community, the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit (GRPHU) advises you to: 

• Exclude children and staff with pertussis from school whilst infectious 
• For public health purposes, a case is considered infectious if within: 
• 21 days after the onset of any cough or 
• Before completing five days of an appropriate antibiotic course. 
• Exclude children aged less than seven years who are not fully vaccinated AND were in the same room with a child diagnosed with whooping cough (referred to as a “contact”) 
• Inform the school community that pertussis is circulating and provide advice on how to reduce the spread of pertussis. 

You may use the attached Pertussis (Whooping Cough) and Frequently Asked Questions (Primary School and Children’s Services). 

• Provide regular updates to the school community if more students and staff are diagnosed with pertussis.
• Keep the attached line list updated.

 For more information on pertussis (whooping cough): 

• Please see Better Health Channel – Whooping Cough 

• RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL: 

  • Frequently Asked Questions for School Community: Pertussis  - attached.

  For more detailed information on pertussis and vaccinations, refer to the following resources: 

  • Maternal and Child Health Services 
  • Department of Health – Pertussis 
  • Australian Immunisation Handbook – Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine 
  • For local vaccination appointments in: 

  o    Baw Baw, Bass Coast, South Gippsland, Wellington and East Gippsland 

  o    Latrobe City – contact the Latrobe City Council Immunisation Team on:

  1300 367 700   

  • For a pertussis factsheet available in other languages, refer to the Pertussis (whooping cough) Factsheet—Health Translations. 

  We recognise that there may be some concerns or anxiety regarding pertussis case(s). If you would like to discuss this further or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit via email at grphu.cd@lrh.com.au.

  Please abide by the information provided to keep us all safe and well.

Maria