Whooping cough epidemic: act quickly
6 November, 2000
A fatal case of whooping cough in a baby in the Hunter region of New South Wales last week has prompted the NSW Health Department to issue a new warning to doctors throughout the state advising them to look out for cases so that they can be treated and kept away from babies.
There have been 2553 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) so far this year in NSW, at a rate of 400-500 each month, compared with 1414 last year. The death was the first fatality related to whooping cough since 1997, when an epidemic claimed the lives of 6 children.
NSW Health Minister Craig Knowles has used the opportunity to remind parents of the importance of vaccination against this ‘nasty illness’.
Last Reviewed: 06 November 2000
