Health authorities have declared a national whooping cough epidemic.

Cases have been rising and ESR reports there've been 263 cases in the past four weeks.

The disease is infectious and can be particularly dangerous and even deadly for elderly people and newborns especially.

Ministry of Health Director of Public Health Dr Nicholas Jones told Heather du Plessis-Allan we’re at the beginning of a serious epidemic.

“It can go on for about 18 months. The last time we had about 4700 cases reported over that time period, and judging by what we’re seeing overseas, we’d be expecting higher numbers in that again.”

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