Provincial Pertussis Information from Public Health

Canada is seeing an overall increase in pertussis (whooping cough) cases, including here in Nova Scotia. Pertussis is a vaccine preventable disease that can be easily spread from person to person. It is spread by close contact with drops of fluid from the nose and throat of someone who has the disease.
Pertussis is very serious for babies and young children, especially newborns because they cannot be vaccinated until at least two months of age and can become extremely sick from pertussis. For this reason pregnant persons are strongly encouraged to get a dose of the pertussis vaccine (Tdap) during the third trimester of pregnancy, as the immunization offers some protection for newborns.
NS Public Health is requesting that care providers and community partners share information about pertussis prevention, signs and symptoms with pregnant persons and those with new babies, so they will be better informed about options for protecting their children. Please share the letter and infographic with the people you serve and post the infographic in public spaces.
As a reminder for healthcare providers, anyone suspected to have pertussis should have a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab to rule in or out the diagnosis. These swabs should preferably be done prior to starting antibiotics. Pertussis is a notifiable disease and all confirmed diagnoses must be reported to Public Health. This document provides details on how to report notifiable diseases. More information about pertussis is also available at www.nshealth.ca/pertussis .