- Make sure you, your whānau, and people visiting your baby are up to date with immunisations. People who are sick should not visit.
- The whooping cough vaccine (Boostrix) is recommended and available FREE for pregnant women between gestational weeks 28 and 38.
- Whooping cough vaccination is quick, simple and available at your GP, some lead maternity carers and through selected Waikato pharmacies.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly infectious disease that is spread by coughing and sneezing. It’s caused by bacteria which damage the breathing tubes.
Whooping cough can be very serious for babies and children – especially those under one year old.
- Whooping cough causes severe attacks of coughing and is a very serious disease in babies.
- If you think you or someone you know has whooping cough, go to a doctor early, the right antibiotics can decrease the spread of this dangerous disease if taken early enough.
- The best way to protect your baby from whooping cough is to get the proper immunisations.
Visit the Ministry of Health website for more information about whooping cough.
Whooping cough often starts just like a cold – with a runny nose, tiredness and sometimes a mild fever. Coughing then develops, usually in bouts, followed by a deep gasp or ‘whoop’ (but not everyone has the classic whooping sound). Severe, persistent coughing is the most common symptom in adults and adolescents.
Mackenzie was just seven weeks old when she became ill with whooping cough, early in 2012. She was admitted to hospital where she spent ten days in isolation.