STROUDSBURG, Pa. — With RSV, coronavirus, and the flu, doctors at St. Luke's University Health Network in Monroe County have been busy nursing people back to health. But they are not the only illnesses the hospital system is seeing.
An outbreak of whooping cough is spreading in the Stroudsburg area.
"It is a respiratory infection, so it is spread when a person coughs or sneezes; they generate secretions. They generate respiratory droplets that go into the air, and then a susceptible person who is within that airspace can become infected," said Dr. Jennifer Janco, the chair of pediatrics for St. Luke's University Health.
Dr. Janco says whooping cough is not a new infection and primarily impacts kids.
"What started as two cases in early December has quickly grown, which is not unexpected because everybody got together as we do this time of year and shared many things—well wishes, happy New Year, as well as coughs, sneezes, and germs, so we are now seeing it largely in the school population," said Dr. Janco.
There is a vaccine, but you have to be 2 months old to receive it.
Dr. Janco says children should get the vaccine if they haven't already and regularly receive all vaccines through childhood.
She advises adults who haven't gotten it in the last 10 years to do so too.
"One of the ways we can protect those babies under 2 months of age," Dr. Janco said," is for pregnant moms to get their whooping cough vaccine, so when they get that vaccine and are towards the end of their pregnancy, then that can confer some protective antibodies."
Dr. Janco says it's hard to diagnose upper respiratory illnesses during this time of year. She encourages anyone who may feel like they have a mild case of whooping cough to contact their health care provider and not overcrowd urgent care centers or emergency rooms.