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 OneCare Health 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 09 550 2146 to speak with the nurse.

More information about whooping cough can be found on the Health New Zealand website here.