GEGAC Vaccination Nurse Linda Main, with a couple of her colleagues in GEGAC Medical and Dental, Ursula Hood and Destiny Harrison, is urging parents and carers to make sure their Boorai are protected against Whooping Cough.
Cases of Whooping Cough are on the rise in community, and our Boorai are the most at risk.
Infants are at the greatest risk of severe disease, hospitalisation, and even death from Whooping Cough, and they often catch it from older children and adults who might not even know they are infected.
You can protect yourself and your Boorai from Whooping Cough by getting the Whooping Cough vaccine at GEGAC.
If your child isn’t fully vaccinated, or even if you’re just not sure of what vaccines you need to have, you can call GEGAC’s vaccination nurse, Linda Main, and have a yarn with her.
Just call 5150 0760 and ask about the Whooping Cough vaccine, or drop by the- GEGAC Medical and Dental Clinic on Dalmahoy Street during business hours.
“Whooping Cough is terrible,” Linda said. “If you’ve ever seen a child who has it, you’ll want to get your vaccine right away. It’s heartbreaking – they just can’t breathe, their lips turn blue. Kids die from it.”
Whooping Cough usually begins with cold-like symptoms, such as a dry cough, tiredness, runny nose, and low-grade fever, which may last for 1-2 weeks.
A more definitive cough may then develop, lasting for 10 weeks or more. The cough comes in long spells and may be followed by a high-pitched ‘whooping’ sound on inhalation, or post-tussive (after coughing) vomiting in toddlers and older children.
Infants under 6 months may have apnoea (pauses in breathing), cyanosis (turning blue), feeding difficulties, gasping, or choking instead of a cough.
As well as making sure that our Boorai are vaccinated, Linda also said it was strongly recommended that children aged 11 – 13 years, pregnant women, and adults 50 – 65 also got vaccinated against Whooping Cough.
Women who are pregnant should protect their babies from Whooping Cough by getting vaccinated.
Cases of Whooping Cough are continuing to increase in Victoria.
There have been over 10 times the number of pertussis cases in 2024 than for the whole of 2023.
Children aged 9-12 years account for nearly 40% of all notified cases.
To learn more about the Whooping Cough vaccine, call us on 5150 0760 or drop by the GEGAC Medical and Dental Clinic on Dalmahoy Street during business hours.