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11/01/2013
'Vaccinate Against Whooping Cough' - Pregnant Women Urged
Pregnant women in Northern Ireland are being urged to get vaccinated against whooping cough.
The government has issued a statement advising women who are 28 weeks pregnant and above talk to their GPs about pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
The announcement follows an upsurge of whooping cough cases in Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.
During 2012 there were 309 confirmed cases of whooping cough in Northern Ireland, compared with only 15 in 2011.
Provisional figures show around 60% of women who were due the vaccine have received it.
The government advises the best time to get the vaccine is between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Pertussis is a disease which can cause long bouts of coughing and choking, accompanied by the characteristic 'whoop' in children as the child gasps for breath.
It can last for up to 10 weeks and can be very serious for young children, and even fatal for babies under one year old.
The infection can be treated with antibiotics, but young infants may need hospital care due to the risk of severe complications.
Children are offered the whooping cough vaccine at two, three and four months of age as part of the routine childhood vaccination programme.
The vaccine for also protects against diphtheria, polio, Haemophilus influenza type B - a cause of meningitis and tetanus.
(IT/GK)
The government has issued a statement advising women who are 28 weeks pregnant and above talk to their GPs about pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
The announcement follows an upsurge of whooping cough cases in Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.
During 2012 there were 309 confirmed cases of whooping cough in Northern Ireland, compared with only 15 in 2011.
Provisional figures show around 60% of women who were due the vaccine have received it.
The government advises the best time to get the vaccine is between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Pertussis is a disease which can cause long bouts of coughing and choking, accompanied by the characteristic 'whoop' in children as the child gasps for breath.
It can last for up to 10 weeks and can be very serious for young children, and even fatal for babies under one year old.
The infection can be treated with antibiotics, but young infants may need hospital care due to the risk of severe complications.
Children are offered the whooping cough vaccine at two, three and four months of age as part of the routine childhood vaccination programme.
The vaccine for also protects against diphtheria, polio, Haemophilus influenza type B - a cause of meningitis and tetanus.
(IT/GK)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:There will be a mixture of bright intervals and a few showers. Best of the sunny spells will be near the North Coast. Feeling on the cool side. Maximum temperature 10 °C.Tonight:Showers will gradually die out during the evening. A cold night with long clear spells leading to a touch of frost in places. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
