While whooping cough is making the rounds in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) regions, it has yet to reach Powell River.
Dr. Paul Martiquet, medical health officer for VCH, confirmed there are no whooping cough cases in Powell River yet, but he is urging people to get vaccinated. “It doesn’t mean it’s not circulating,” he said. “We really are advising people who work with young children or just young children or first nations to take up the offer of a free vaccine.”
VCH is strongly recommending children, pregnant women and parents with young children receive the publicly-funded vaccine. Whooping cough can be life-threatening or fatal to young children. It is highly contagious and is an infection which lines the respiratory tract.
Fraser Health has reported 255 cumulative cases, a 25 per cent increase in the last month of the infection. Recent cases have been reported in Surrey, Maple Ridge and Delta.
In the VCH region, 58 cases have been confirmed as of April 16, with more unreported cases in both regions. About 10,000 whooping cough vaccines have been administered since the outbreak started in Hope this past December, according to VCH.
