You may have heard that whooping cough/pertussis is going around and affecting some people in our community. If you don't know, whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system and can lead to a serious long-term coughing illness and is particularly dangerous for babies. The National Public Health Service has now declared this a national epidemic.
Whooping cough vaccines are fully funded for:
pregnant people from 13 weeks
all children under 18 years
adults aged 45 to 65 years.
Vaccinations and boosters for whooping cough are available at Greenhithe Medical Centre with a scheduled appointment. Please note, charges may apply if you do not qualify for the funded vaccination. If you are unsure if you need a vaccination, please call on 09 413 8562 to speak with the nurse.
More information about whooping cough can be found on the Health New Zealand website here.
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