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Whooping Cough AlertLast modified: May 28, 2009 - 3:55 PM
There has been a 97.6 per cent increase in the number of reported whooping cough cases in the Greater Southern Area Health Service. There have been 296 reported cases in the first three months of the year, compared to 30 for the same period last year, according to the Minister for Health, John Della Bosca MLC. While April’s figures are not in yet, indications are it was another bad month, so his Department is urging new parents, grandparents and adults who regularly care for infants less than 12 months old, to get vaccinated against whooping cough. Free booster vaccinations are available from GP’s across the State. Earlier this year, public health officers wrote to all new parents throughout NSW advising of arrangements for the free vaccine and contacted all GP’s to encourage vaccination to stem the rise in whooping cough cases. This is a serious illness which can result in hospitalization and even death. Symptoms of whooping cough initially may include runny nose, tiredness and mild fever. Coughing bouts then develop followed by a big deep gasp, that sometimes produces a whooping sound. Vomiting may follow these bouts of coughing. Adults often just have an ongoing cough without the whoop. Whooping cough is easily spread to other people by droplets from coughing, it is important people are diagnosed and treated early with special antibiotics to help stop it spreading. For more information visit www.health.nsw.gov.au Contact details |
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© 2008 Wakool Shire Council |
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