Followup to my other post:
My kids (7 and 1) are unvaxxed). My son has a whooping cough outbreak at his school. I took him out a week ago last Wed. b/c one of the cases was IN his class (most of the other cases are in grades 6-8. There might be a case in 4th grade). So he's missed a week and a half for this. Missed 2-3 other days throughout the year. I believe he's missed a total of 10-11 days total this year so far. That week I took him out, there were 4-5 cases. At the beginning of last week, they were up to 9 cases. I talked to the principal on Wed, and she said that if there were no new cases, he'd come back on Monday (tomorrow). There was one new case as of Friday in grades 6-8. If there was a new case, we were to talk again, but we never got to talk on Friday (which is a whole other story on how the receptionist wouldn't even put me through to her voicemail). Health Dept says he can be there if there are no cases in his class/floor. Here are my choices:
Keep him out 3 more days and then they'll all go on Spring Break where I hope it will clear out more. They get Thurs/Fri off this week and then the whole next week. All students to return on April16th. My problem with this is that I am getting nervous about how many days he's missing - 28 days is the limit in order to get credit for the school year and not have to repeat. If it weren't for missed days, this is what I'd be most comfortable with.
Option 2 is to send him in unless there are any new cases on his floor. If he does go in tomorrow, he has three tests to make up.
He's been on a 5-day course or azithromiacin (sp?) b/c he started to get a cold, and our integrative medicine pediatrician wasn't going to risk it with a 13-month old in the house. I don't want to put him on another one though. I don't plan to have him on an off antibiotics all spring.
Option 3 is to not send him in tomorrow until I actually talk to the principal. And send him in Tuesday and Wednesday.
The only down side to keeping him out these next 3 days is that if we go back after spring break, and there's more cases in his class, and I have to keep him out again (maybe for longer next time if we don't do antibiotics), I think we really risk him getting to that 28-day mark.
There is a K-4 event tomorrow. They all use the same lunch room, and there is another K-4 event (possible all school event) on Wednesday.
I guess I am asking for any resources or opinions you have on knowing when to send a kid back in this situation!!!
This whole situation has just made me very uncomfortable. Our ped says that every school in our area has 1-2 cases of pertussis a year, but 10 is a bit much for my comfort level. Especially w/ a baby and especially with a case in his class.
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