Whooping cough warning for parents

PARENTS within the Young community are being encouraged to protect their children and ensure family and friends interacting with newborns are up to date with all whooping cough vaccinations.

This latest warning comes as the Murrumbidgee Local Area Health Network are faced with a whooping cough epidemic.

In this region alone, more than 500 cases of whooping cough have been reported.

“We have had 504 cases presented, 10 alone in Young this year – to give you an indication, at the same time last year we had 153 cases reported,” director of public health Tracy Oakman said.

What has health professionals even more worried is people who are neglecting to vaccinate their children, putting them at risk of more serious complications and even death.

“Toddlers, young children and adults can contract the disease but it is babies under six months that we are most worried about, because unfortunately they can die,” Ms Oakman said.

“Our data reflects a state-wide epidemic but there are a lot of cases reported across the country.”

While the prevalence of whooping cough continues to fluctuate, there are a surprising number of cases being reported each year.

In 2007, nearly 3000 people reported contracting the condition, in 2008 there were 8757 cases addressed by medical professionals.

In 2009 there was a record 12,575 cases reported. The highest number in five years.

Figures were down again in 2010 with 9272 reports of whooping cough across the state but if this trend is anything to go by 2011 will top this figure.

In the six months of 2011 more than 5000 cases of whooping cough, also known as Pertussis had been reported to GPs.

In the 13 days of this month more than 120 residents in NSW have reported suffering from the disease.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable, violent coughing.

The coughing can make it hard for the patient to breathe.

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Vaccinations enforces beside Whooping Cough plague

Dr. Marty Fenstersheib said that "Six babies in California have died previously this year, were beneath the age of three months”. About 1,500 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, have been reported as of mid-July this year, which is about three times greater than what was reported over the same period last year, according to the California section of Public Health.

There have been 97 reported whooping cough suitcases in Santa Clara County so far this year with about partially being reported in July. Symptoms begin as coughing allied with a common cold, but gradually get worse. It is imperative for pregnant women or anyone who has a baby in their home, or who comes in secure get in touch with with babies to acquire vaccinated.

Older people, counting children of all ages, are naturally the ones who broadcast a cough to a baby, and that is why parents, siblings, grandparents, or anyone else who will get nearer in contact with a baby should take defensive measures.

Babies cannot acquire the vaccination until they accomplish the age of two months at which point three shots are given in two-month intervals. Anyone who has not been immunized within the past seven years should acquire vaccinated, including children ages 7 or older that may necessitate booster shots.