Whooping cough ‘outbreak’ confirmed at Austin ISD middle school
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, Austin Public Health (APH) confirmed at least six cases of pertussis, better known as whooping cough, at Lamar Middle School since the beginning of the school year.
Austin Independent School District said it is working closely with APH regarding the confirmed cases to raise awareness and to help stop the spread of any illness.
"APH has confirmed that the number of student pertussis cases identified at Lamar MS meets the criteria to be classified as an ‘outbreak’ and is associated with increased community spread in Travis County,” Austin ISD Health Services and Nursing said.
According to APH, pertussis is something everyone in the community should be aware of and take precautions against.
“Through September, Austin-Travis County has seen 115 reported cases of pertussis, a 35% increase compared to the entirety of 2024,” APH said. “More than half of these cases involve school-aged children.”
According to APH, four schools have been notified about the threat.
- Lamar Middle School
- Austin Achieve Elementary School Northeast
- Bridge Point Elementary School
- Austin Achieve Middle School
APH said the increase could be attributed to improvements in diagnosis, treatment and identification of those exposed to the illness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whooping cough vaccines are the best way to protect against the illness.
"We would like to repeat that this is something everyone in our community should be aware of and act on if they aren't vaccinated already," APH said.