A person who attends Nayland College may have whooping cough.

This statement has been issued by Public Health Service.

For children & staff attending Nayland College we recommend the following actions:

· All children should be up-to-date with their Pertussis (whooping cough) immunisation and are advised to check with their family doctor.

· Anyone who develops a runny nose or cough should see their doctor immediately, and remain away until the doctor is sure that it is not whooping cough.

· Phone ahead so you do not spend time in the waiting room.

· This is particularly important if you have a baby in the house under one year old, as all of the household may need antibiotics to protect the baby from whooping cough.

Symptoms:

· Usually a cough lasting longer than two weeks with at least one of the following:

· Spasms of coughing

· Spasms of coughing ending in vomiting or difficulty breathing

· Cough may be accompanied by a whooping sound.

· Complications can include pneumonia, ear infections and problems related to the effects of prolonged and severe coughing.

· Serious complications are most common in infants and babies

How can I protect myself and others?

· Make sure your child is on time and up-to-date with vaccinations. Check with your GP if you are unsure.

· Don’t wait until someone has had the cough for more than two weeks before checking it out.

· Remember to cover all coughs and sneezes (clean tissue or elbow), and practice good hand hygiene.

· Adults are often the source of infection that then spreads to children (although having whooping cough or being vaccinated protects most people for many years against becoming ill, neither gives life-long protection)

· It is very important that adults don’t cough around babies and children

· Women in the later stages of pregnancy should avoid close contact with people who are coughing to reduce their risk of infection that they may then pass on to their newborn baby. It is recommended that pregnant women get a free Pertussis vaccination between 28-38 weeks of pregnancy from their GP.

If you have any queries please contact your family doctor or practice nurse, or phone Public Health on ( (03) 546 1537 (Nelson), 0800 HEALTHLINE (0800 611 116) or 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863).

Yours sincerely

Dr Stephen Bridgman

Clinical Director of Public Health

P.S. You might also be interested in information on pertussis, and other immunisation preventable diseases on the Ministry of Health website.

https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/whooping-cough

P.P.S. I note that we have recently seen a large increase in confirmed mumps cases in our district, having had no confirmed cases for three years. Further, the proportion of people immunised against measles in our community is below that needed to prevent an outbreak. Adults born after 1st January 1969 are also eligible for free MMR immunisations. It would greatly help reduce individual and community health risk if parents and guardians would please check and ensure their children’s and their own immunisations are up to date.