Te Whatu Ora is encouraging healthcare providers and professionals to be alert to the symptoms of whooping cough and to encourage immunisation due to concerns about potential underlying community spread.
People are being reminded to make sure tamariki, their caregivers and pregnant people are immunised against the illness.
This comes following the recent tragic deaths of two people from whooping cough.
In New Zealand the first infant vaccination opportunity is the six-weeks immunisation event. This means un-immunised infants and those under six weeks old are most vulnerable to pertussis. Increasing antenatal pertussis vaccination provides protection for newborns too young to be immunised.
Free antenatal pertussis vaccination, with Boostrix, is available from general practice and also through many pharmacies across New Zealand. It can be given from the second trimester of every pregnancy and is recommended to have from 16 weeks, but at least 2 weeks before birth.
Pertussis is serious in very young children – during the last outbreak from October 2017 to May 2019, 50% of children with pertussis, who were aged under 1 year old, required hospitalisation.
Healthcare providers should consider pertussis as a possible alternative diagnosis, particularly in babies under 3 months with respiratory illness who may not present with the characteristic whoop. Please see the Te Whatu Ora clinical advice for more details on diagnosis.
View the whooping cough pathway on HealthPathways for information.
The national public health service is currently promoting meningococcal B vaccine to 13-25 year olds who are in boarding schools and halls of residence and are discussing the vaccination with the Ministries of Defence and Corrections. Please be aware there may be increased practice vaccination requests as a result of this promotion.
Initially published by NZ Doctor, Jo Scott-Jones discusses what you can do to reduce the number of phone calls, prescriptions and consultations for respiratory illnesses this winter.
Read moreRead updates about stock arriving in Aotearoa New Zealand, vaccines for the upcoming flu season, programme timing, training modules and more.
Read moreTreatment of patients with moderate COPD exacerbation that can be safely managed in the community.
View detailsBPAC traffic light system to predict risk of serious illness in children with fever.