Portland State was forced to cancel last Saturday's planned game with South Dakota due to a whooping cough outbreak in the Vikings' locker room, and now the focus shifts to not losing this Saturday's trip to Boise State.
The school announced Monday that, in concert with the Multnomah County Health Department and the Oregon Health Authority, the multiple players who were exposed to the PSU player diagnosed with whooping cough have been given a 5-day course of antibiotics. Portland State has not announced how many players and/or staff were exposed to the infected individual but the school did say, "(o)nly athletes and staff who have completed the antibiotic regimen will be eligible to travel and participate in the upcoming game."
In short, so long as everyone involved takes their medicine, Saturday's Vikings-Broncos game should go off infection-free.
The announcement concluded with a passage none of us expected to read in conjunction with college football, but one that bears repeating here:
Vaccination against pertussis is routinely recommended for infants, children, adolescents and adults. Children should receive the DTaP vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis at 2, 4, 6 and 15 to 18 months, and again at age 4 to kindergarten age. All persons ages 10 and older should receive a single dose of Tdap. Through these measures we can all help keep our communities safe.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.