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.”

LISTEN ABOVE

<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Health authorities have declared a national whooping cough epidemic.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Cases have been rising and ESR reports there've been 263 cases in the past four weeks.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">The disease is infectious and can be particularly dangerous and even deadly for elderly people and newborns especially.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Ministry of Health Director of Public Health Dr Nicholas Jones told Heather du Plessis-Allan we’re at the beginning of a serious epidemic.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">“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.”
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Dr Nicholas Jones: Ministry of Public Health public health director says we're at the beginning of a serious whooping cough epidemic

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c48d88d1-9138-49f8-b676-b23000494361/transcript

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