782% increase in whooping cough notifications in NSW this year.
5444 cases of whooping cough have been diagnosed between January and March this year, compared to 696 during the same period in 2008. This equates to an astonishing increase of 782%.
Head of pediatrics at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Ken Peacock explained that diagnosis is most common in children aged under six months.
“There would be at least one or two case fatalities probably per year and that’s a serious problem. That’s one or two too many” Dr Peacock said.
In addition to the immunization of young children, Dr Peacock said many doctors are now recommending booster vaccinations for adults, especially expectant parents.
“The greatest risk can be for children under the age of four to six months who haven’t received their full immunization course being exposed to adults or children who may have a coughing illness… (who) are then able to spread that quite easily to susceptible infants.” he cautioned.
“It causes significant morbidity and mortality for infants and so the importance of giving an immunization to prevent such a condition is vital.”
Parents of young infants who have not been fully immunized are urged to avoid unnecessary outings to shopping centres and crowded places. Protect your babies, keep them safe and indoors. Choose outdoor walks and visits to parks instead of shopping centres and crowds. The same applies for unimmunized pregnant women. Cocoon yourself whenever possible and seek advise from your GP about vaccination. Basically exercise a commonsense and responsible level of caution - lots of hand washing and stay away from anyone with a cough.
NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca raised the issue of whooping cough at the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council in Melbourne on Friday and is seeking a national review of community education and prevention in relation to the disease.
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said officials had been asked to research the trends across Australia and the world.
“We hoped we were in a position where there wouldn’t be deaths from whooping cough in this day and age,” she told reporters in Canberra.
“Minister Della Bosca is very concerned about it and has asked all health ministers to be involved, to see whether there were any changed protocols, any new information that needs to be provided to people and new literature that needs to be examined and our officials will be doing that.”
Ms Roxon also urged parents to have their children immunized.
“Certainly I would call upon all parents to vaccinate their children,” she said.
The symptoms of whooping cough may include runny nose, tiredness and mild fever and it is easily spread by droplets from coughing.
Dr Peacock goes on to say that adults who spend time with young children should consider having a free booster vaccination from a GP because childhood immunization can offer less protection after about 10 years.
Source from Parenting Australia
