The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is reminding people to get fully vaccinated against pertussis – also known as whooping cough – as the number of cases in the region increases. The EOHU sent out the alert on Friday.
Speaking to CBC, EOHU health officer Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said his team wanted to “raise the alarm” because they had seen so many cases.
He said 280 cases have been reported in Ontario this year, compared to 190 in the same period last year. Six cases occurred in the past week, he said.
In a statement, Ottawa Public Health said eight cases of whooping cough were reported in the city – more than in all of 2023, but still less than the annual average of 27 before the pandemic.
Quebec and New Brunswick also saw an increase in whooping cough cases this month.
Dr. Jane Liddle, a local pediatrician and lecturer at the University of Ottawa, is one of the doctors urging people to check their vaccination records.
“You can have a very mild case of whooping cough and you’ll probably be fine. The problem is that you may also be the person who passes it on to someone who is very vulnerable, whether it’s an infant, an elderly person or someone struggling with a chronic illness.”
According to Roumeliotis, most whooping cough cases in Eastern Ontario occurred in unvaccinated people.
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