(FREDERICTON) November 28, 2017 - Horizon Health Network is reminding adults of the importance of receiving their whooping cough vaccine to protect themselves and those around them. Babies and children are vaccinated as part of their vaccination schedule, but it is also important for teens and adults to get their booster to maintain protection.  New Brunswick adults are offered one free publically funded whooping cough booster throughout their lifetime. 

The Fredericton and Upper River Valley area experienced a whooping cough outbreak from April 2017 to November 2017. During this regional outbreak, almost all adults with whooping cough had not received their booster vaccine dose. Whooping cough is a vaccine preventable disease and is recommended for babies, children, teens, pregnant women, and adults.  

Whooping cough is also known as pertussis or "the 100 day cough", receiving its name from the "whoop" sound made when someone with the disease gasps for air after a fit of coughing.  Children under one year can become very sick with whooping cough and develop complications requiring a stay in hospital. Infants are not old enough to have all the whooping cough vaccine doses to be fully protected. 

Call your local Public Health office or talk to your health care provider if you have questions about whooping cough or for more information on where to receive the vaccine.  You can reach Fredericton Public Health at 506-453-5200 or Upper River Valley Public Health at 1-888-829-6444.  

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For more information contact:

Stephanie Neilson-Levesque
Media Relations
1-877-499-1899
Media@HorizonNB.ca
www.HorizonNB.ca