Cough Alert

At this time of year, there are plenty of coughs, colds and bugs going around. The trick is to work out, which are garden-variety winter ills and which need real attention.

Influenza is a serious disease (it's younger cousin, man-flu, may seem dire, but it is entirely different). You can protect yourself against certain strains of the flu with a flu injection. Ask your GP whether it is advisable for you.

Similarly, whooping cough (pertussis) on the rise again and can be potential serious for some sectors of the community. 

New Zealand parents are being warned to immunise themselves, their children, extended families and friends ahead of a potential whooping cough outbreak predicted to start in the next two years.

The highly contagious disease has a cyclical nature, with large-scale outbreaks every two to five years. Medical experts say cases could be reduced if Kiwis continue to vaccinate themselves against it.

This article represents the views of its writer, and GrownUps does not endorse the content of this article or any product or service mentioned in it. Please seek advice from a professional in relation to your own circumstances.  

Vaccination is essential to help protect infants, who have the highest rate of hospitalisation for pertussis (otherwise known as whooping cough), and who have a one in ten chance of being admitted to the intensive care unit once hospitalised with the condition.

70% of whooping cough cases in babies are contracted from a family member. Infants are worst affected by the disease as their airways are smaller, and they are quickly exhausted by the wracking cough that is a hallmark of the condition. 

If they are placed in the intensive care unit, they have a one in six chance of sustaining severe lung damage, brain damage, or of dying from the disease.

Pertussis is always circulating, even at low levels, in the community,2 and often people are unaware they have the disease. An Auckland study found that 17% of school-aged children who visited the doctor with a persistent cough of two weeks duration or longer had recently had a whooping cough infection – and this was not during the peak of an epidemic.

Kiwis are urged to visit their GP for more information or to book a booster vaccination.

This article represents the views of its writer, and GrownUps does not endorse the content of this article or any product or service mentioned in it. Please seek advice from a professional in relation to your own circumstances.