Whooping cough 'outbreak' reported at Chesco school

Two cases of pertussis, popularly known as whooping cough, have been reported at Hillsdale Elementary School in West Chester, prompting officials to bar any students or staff who have not been vaccinated against the disease from entering the building.

The West Chester Area School District says the Chester County Health Department confirmed the second case Tuesday, qualifying it as an "outbreak" at the site. Superintendent Jim Scanlon said in a statement on the district's website that officials "have identified the Hillsdale students who were not vaccinated and will be working with the Department of Health to provide those vaccinations" that will allow them to return to school.

Last week, officials reported that two students at Great Valley High School in Malvern had been diagnosed with pertussis.

Pertussis is a bacterial disease that can be fatal in rare cases. Whooping cough starts off like a cold but leads to severe coughing that can last for weeks. - Staff report