One infected person can pass whooping cough on to up to 17 unprotected others. New Zealand is currently experiencing an ongoing national outbreak. Whooping Cough is a vaccine preventable disease. In New Zealand infants are fully immunised against whooping cough at around 5-months of age. Children also receive boosters at 4 and 11-years as part of the National Immunisation Schedule. Infants aren't fully immunised until around 5-months of age so make sure if you're visiting children under 5-months be sure that you are vaccinated against whooping cough because their protection starts with you.
Our immunity to whooping cough reduces over time so we need a booster every 10 years to stay fully immunised. When did you last have your whooping cough booster vaccination?
In healthy adults whooping cough is often difficult to diagnose - you may think you just have persistent cough (often referred to as a 100-day cough). Not being protected yourself means you could easily pass on this highly contagious disease without knowing you had it in the first place. The great news is that trained vaccinating Pharmacists at Life Pharmacy Motueka are able to provide one booster vaccination that covers diptheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). Enquire to request a booking slot and find out if this vaccination is funded for you!
