Increase in whooping cough cases a concern
Vaccine is free and widely available for disease that can strike children
The Saskatchewan Health Authority ’s deputy medical health officer says he is bothered by any new case of whooping cough — also known as pertussis — since it’s an illness that can be prevented by a vaccine.
Dr. Simon Kapaj does not attribute the recent spate of whooping cough cases affecting children in Rosthern and surrounding area to any one thing. Some parents aren’t aware their children are behind on immunizations; others don’t have time to take their children to a doctor, while others may be hesitant.
Kapaj said some of the affected communities have relatively low Tdap immunization coverage. He provided an update for the public at a media conference on Wednesday.
“The important key message is that we’re seeing these cases in a certain geographic area, which is Rosthern and surrounding communities — 25 cases within six or seven weeks,” he said.
Half of the provincial lab confirmed cases involve children under the age of five, including a two-month-old who had to be hospitalized and has now recovered. All of the children have been treated and are doing well, Kapaj said.
So far this year, there have been 67 confirmed cases of whooping cough in the area covered by the former Saskatoon Health Region.
Pertussis is a bacterial infection and can be spread from one person to another. It is most contagious in the first stage, which lasts up to two weeks, when a person has a mild fever and mild cough. The next stage, in which the “whooping ” cough is pronounced, could last for more than eight weeks. The final recovery stage can last up to three weeks.
Whooping cough linked to the Rosthern-area cluster hasn’t spread to Saskatoon, but because of the proximity and coming holiday season, people will get together and the risk is there, Kapaj said. He wants parents to review their children’s immunization records to make sure they are up to date.
Kapaj said it’s important that anyone taking care of babies also review their immunization records. Infants, especially those younger than two months, are not protected because immunizations for pertussis start at two months. The Tdap vaccine is also available to all pregnant women between weeks 27 and 32.
Complications from whooping cough in babies are more serious than in adults and can be fatal.
“We don’t want that to happen because, actually, we have the vaccine available, the vaccine is free and everyone that is eligible can get that shot in public health offices,” Kapaj said.
We’re seeing these cases in a certain geographic area, which is Rosthern and surrounding communities.