Whooping Cough cases identified in Kawartha Lakes

DAN CEARNS The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: There have been cases of Whooping Cough, also known as Pertussis, identified in the City of Kawartha Lakes according to the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR).

At a board meeting on Thursday, April 18th, local medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking told members three cases have been confirmed so far in Kawartha Lakes.

“This is also a vaccine preventable disease,” Dr. Bocking said. “Pertussis is something which every four years or so we see an increase provincially. So, it’s a bit of a wave pattern. The Pertussis vaccine’s effectiveness decreases over time. So teenagers are supposed to get a booster [shot] when they’re 16 or 17 to ensure they’re still immune.”

She noted she hopes the current cases don’t lead to “a larger outbreak” and she noted the schools have been informed cases of Whooping Cough have been identified.

In a press release, HKPR defines Pertussis as a “serious bacterial infection of the respiratory system” and one which “can be introduced to communities through travel to countries with lower rates of vaccination, and it can circulate among those who are unvaccinated.”