PARENTS are on high alert with whooping cough at risk of becoming an epidemic in the Hastings.
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The highly contagious respiratory infection is also known as pertussis. For adolescents and adults, the infection may only cause a persistent cough.
However, for babies and young children, whooping cough can be life threatening.
Complications of whooping cough in babies include pneumonia, fits and brain damage from prolonged lack of oxygen.
Most hospitalisations and deaths occur in babies less than six months of age.
Most recently Hastings Public School has taken action, informing parents of a situation with whooping cough.
Cases of the infection were diagnosed at the school last week with parents informed if any further cases were reported, the school would exclude those children who were not immunised or who had not produced appropriate and up-to-date documentation.
"Over 50 students received letters for their parents explaining their children had been excluded from school until next Monday," the Hastings Public School newsletter said this week.
"We hope this is the last time we will have to take such action but we are following Health Department policy and will do so again if a similar situation arises."
Paul Corben, director of North Coast Public Health Unit, said there has been a strong increase in the cases around NSW and also on the North Coast, just recently in the Port Macquarie area.
"Most of the cases being diagnosed are in the primary school age bracket," he said.
"The best way to protect children is to keep kids home when they are sick, get them diagnosed and treated."
Mr Corben said whooping cough is a difficult disease to control from a public health point of things.
Immunisations are recommended from six to eight weeks of age, again at four months, 18 months, and four years of age before a final immunisation at the start of high school.
"In some places it's called the 100 day cough.
"It circulates in the community all of the time but we seem to get the epidemics every three to four years," he said.
"We had a big outbreak in the NSW North Coast for in 2009 and 2010. Children are really the main sufferers."
Mr Corben said that there is now a strong recommendation for pregnant women to get vaccinated for whooping cough in the third trimester.
"This aims at reducing the risk of whooping cough in babies under 6 months of age, as this age group that has the highest mortality rate," he said.