Bay of Plenty health authorities are urging people to ensure they are up to date with immunisation ahead of the summer holidays.
Toi Te Ora Public Health Service chief medical officer Dr Jim Miller said outbreaks of whooping cough and mumps in different parts of New Zealand was a timely reminder that people should ensure they are protected.
There has been an increase in the number of whooping cough cases in the Bay of Plenty and across New Zealand this year. Since 1 January 2017, there have been 120 cases of pertussis notified locally to the Medical Officer of Health.
Of these, 82 cases have been in the Bay of Plenty, and 38 have been in the Lakes region. Whooping cough is a highly infectious and distressing illness caused by bacteria that are spread through the community by coughing and sneezing in the same way as colds and influenza.
"Symptoms start with a runny nose, fever and dry cough. Coughing gets worse over the next few weeks developing into attacks of coughing and sometimes vomiting," Dr Miller said.
Babies under one year are most at risk of serious complications from whooping cough. The most effective way to protect babies is for their mother to be immunised during pregnancy (between 28 and 38 weeks) so that antibodies are passed on to the baby.
