Main Messages:

1. On time immunisation is the best protection.
2. Look out for symptoms.
3. Visit your doctor if you think that your child has whooping cough. If you are able to - record the sound of the cough and give this to your doctor. This can be done through many mobile phones. This can be very helpful for the diagnosis of whooping cough.
4. If you have flu or cold like symptoms - keep away from newborns.

Whooping Cough Outbreak 2012- 2013

Auckland Regional Public Health Service can confirm that from 1 January 2012 until 21 May 2013, there have been 1,239 notified cases of whooping cough (made up of 877 cases for 2012 and 362 for 2013 so far). These figures are updated on a regular basis. 

Whooping cough immunisation during pregnancy is available from your family doctor. The immunisation is funded for pregnant women between 28-38 weeks gestation. For more information contact your family doctor or midwife.

RESOURCES

Health Professional Advice

• Health Professional Advice: Azithromycin Now Fully Funded (PDF, 98 KB)
• Pertussis: Clinical Pathway (PDF, 75 KB)
• GP fax: FREE pertussis vaccination for pregnant women (105.62 KB)
• Quick answers to frequent Tdap questions (PDF, 198.59 KB)

Information for Cases and Contacts

• Information for people with whooping cough (PDF, 157.07 KB)
• Information for contacts of people with whooping cough (PDF, 158.30 KB)
• Whooping Cough Fact Sheet (English) (PDF, 152 KB)
• Whooping Cough Fact Sheet (Te Reo Maori) (PDF, 122.53 KB)
• Information for whooping cough immunisation in pregnancy (PDF, 162.31 KB)

Information for Schools

• Guidelines for schools on managing whooping cough (PDF, 178.16 KB)
• Whooping cough information for schools - close contacts (Word, 53.08 KB)

Information for Early Childhood Education Centers (ECECs)

• Guidelines for ECECs on managing whooping cough (PDF, 75.2 KB)
• Whooping cough (children that need to be excluded) (PDF, 45.0 KB)
• Whooping cough (children that do NOT need to be excluded (PDF, 45.1 KB)

Whooping Cough Poster

• Whooping cough poster for patients  (PDF, 88 KB)
• Notify Poster for GPs (PDF, 81KB)

Whooping Cough Videos and Sound Files

• Whooping cough http://www.kidshealth.org.nz/whooping-cough-videos#Whooping_cough (kidshealth / Immunisation Advisory Centre) Health professionals talk about the severity of the disease, particularly in young babies, and the importance of immunisation to protect them.

• A mother's story http://www.kidshealth.org.nz/whooping-cough-videos#Whooping_cough_-_a_mother-s_story (kidshealth / Immunisation Advisory Centre / Ministry of Health).
  Baby Mackenzie was hospitalised with whooping cough in Wellington early 2012. The mother talks about the experience, including the fact that they're pretty sure her partner gave Mackenzie whooping cough. She heard about the booster in antenatal classes and said to her partner that he should have the booster. They subsequently forgot about it but she now says if she'd realised what could happen, both of them would have had the booster.
• A baby's struggle http://www.kidshealth.org.nz/whooping-cough-videos#Whooping_cough_-_a_baby-s_struggle (Waikato District Health Board production)
  The video shows three-week-old Sativah Illingworth struggling for each breath, having mucus suctioned from her lungs and being winded as she gasps for air. Her mother wanted to share their story to illustrate the dangers of whooping cough and the importance of immunisation to protect young babies.
• Short video of a baby with whooping cough:  http://www.waikatodhb.govt.nz/FlashItems/PublicHealth/whoopingcough.swf  (This video was produced by Kids Health (paediatric society) and Waikato District Health Board).
• Short videos of 2 and 6 year old children with whooping cough:  http://www.whoopingcough.net/video%20whooping%20cough.htm (Reproduced with permission from Whooping Cough.net).
• Sound files of Whooping Cough in children and adults, available  Here
  
• Parents of Kids with infectious Diseases (PKIDs) website that includes sound files  Here