Epidemic brings vaccination call

Doctors are urging parents to have their children immunised against whooping cough as a potentially deadly epidemic sweeps the country.

Already this year there have been 34 cases of whooping cough in the western Bay of Plenty - a massive jump on last year's 25 cases for the year.

Nationally, 628 cases have been notified so far this year compared with 589 cases for the whole of last year.

Epidemics occur about every four years. The last was between 1999 and 2001 when three babies died.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board acting public health physician Anita Bell said the rates of whooping cough had been rising for the past 30 years and the latest surge was probably due to a drop in immunisation rates.

"It's the under-ones who are the most vulnerable and we are really worried about," she said.

Dr Bell says whooping cough can have a range of symptoms with deadly consequences - such as pneumonia, brain damage from oxygen deprivation and internal bleeding from strenuous coughing. The airborne bacteria is transmitted by coughing.

Although adults are generally able to fend off the worst of the effects, Dr Bell said they could act as "reservoirs" for infection.

"Lots of studies across the world have shown that if you have a good vaccination coverage then the rate comes down quite considerably."

Dr Bell said children under five should get the vaccinations, which were free.

Immunisation is done at six weeks, three months and five months of age with booster shots at 15 months and four years.

Tauranga doctor Geoff Easterman agreed immunisation was the key to tackling the disease. He blamed poor information, wrong information and parents postponing doctors' visits for low immunisation rates.

He said whooping cough was a "dreadful" and deadly disease for young children.

Parents who suspected their child of having whooping cough should seek medical help immediately. Youngsters could still be immunised even if they were slightly off colour.

- NZPA