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Whooping Cough Makes a Comeback

Monday, 16 November 2015 at 08:26

Adults are encouraged to check their vaccination records to make sure they are up to date on their Pertussis shot.

Whooping Cough or Pertussis is starting to make a comeback in Canada. 

While Ontario hasn't been hit too hard with the disease, it has seen an uptick in B.C., Manitoba, and New Brunswick. Public Health Nurse with Oxford County Health Joanne Andrews tells Heart FM you might want to check your immunization record. 

"The immunization for the disease itself does not provide life long immunity so it is something that people need a booster for and there are certain times that a booster is recommended. So if someone has not had that booster then they are susceptible to that illness and can pass it on to someone else. In the past few years the province has funded a publicly funded dose for adults which mean that it is free for adults, and adults are recommended to get boosters of tetanus and diphtheria every ten years. But one of those doses in their adult life time should contain Pertussis or whooping cough."

Most of the people who get whooping cough have not been vaccinated. Andrews also breaks down the symptoms for whooping cough. 

"With whooping cough, the cough goes on. The reason it's called whooping cough is because it does have that whooping sounds as someone tries to catch their breath. When someone's having those coughing spells it's difficult for them to catch their breath, it may end in vomiting and results in exhaustion. And that can last for 1 to 6 weeks."

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