Education Sector

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Information for Early Childhood Centres/Kohanga Reo staff and parents/caregivers of children

The Bay of Plenty and Lakes districts, like other parts of the country, have seen an increased number of whooping cough cases in recent months. Whooping cough is a serious and highly infectious disease and is spread through the community by coughing and sneezing. Young children, especially babies under 12 months of age and those with a weak immune system (immunocompromised) can become extremely ill from whooping cough.

For further information, please read the following letter for ECE staff and information sheet for parents/caregivers:

Whooping cough letter for schools (distributed widely in late November this year)
Whooping cough letter for ECE / Kohanga Reo staff (distributed widely in late March this year)
Whooping cough information sheet for parents/caregivers

Information for schools, students and parents of students

Immunisation against whooping cough is effective, so students are encouraged to be up-to-date with their immunisations. Parents should ensure young children and babies are immunised on time and that the first scheduled immunisations for babies are not delayed.
If a student has any of the following symptoms they should see their GP:

- cough lasting more than 2 weeks;

- sudden coughing attacks especially if they end in vomiting, breathlessness, or a 'whoop' sound.

People with whooping cough are infectious until they have had antibiotics for 5 days - or, if not treated, until 3 weeks after the cough started. During this infectious period a student with whooping cough:

- should not attend school; and,

- take care, where possible, to avoid contact with women in the late stages of pregnancy (because of the possible risk to their newborns), babies and young children.