CHEO reports spike in whooping cough cases
Cases of whooping cough have been on the rise in Ottawa, CHEO says.
The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario said Wednesday that it has seen 90 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, so far this year, compared to just six cases in 2023.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The disease usually begins with cold-like symptoms. It can evolve over weeks to include coughing spells that often end with a "whoop" sound when an infected person tries to catch their breath, CHEO says. It is preventable with a vaccine.
"CHEO medical experts urge parents and caregivers to keep up to date with routine vaccinations, which are proven to protect against further spread. Routine vaccines are especially important for pregnant women to protect their newborns before they can be immunized, and for infants in the first year of life when they remain most at risk of severe infection," a news release from CHEO said.
"If you suspect your child has whooping cough, it is recommended that you wear masks, wash your hands, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze to prevent further spread. If your child has breathing difficulties or can’t take in enough fluid, they should go to the nearest Emergency Department."
Earlier this year, Ottawa Public Health said more than 14,000 school-aged children were behind on their routine vaccinations. The whooping cough vaccine is one of the shots required under the provincial Immunization of School Pupils Act. Immunization rates have fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, but OPH says rates among seven-year-olds in Ottawa were much higher than the past three pandemic years and compared to the Ontario average, across all vaccines.
OPH has information on where to get a child vaccinated on its Parenting in Ottawa website, including details about school vaccination clinics, community vaccination clinics, neighbourhood wellness hubs, and clinics for First Nations, Inuit and Métis residents. Details about medical and non-medical exemptions can also be found on the Parenting in Ottawa website.
CHEO says the Kids Come First health team is holding vaccine catchup clinics for families who do not have access to a regular health-care provider.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Federal government posts $13B deficit in first half of the fiscal year
The Finance Department says the federal deficit was $13 billion between April and September.
Weather warnings for snow, wind issued in several parts of Canada
Winter is less than a month away, but parts of Canada are already projected to see winter-like weather.
Canadian news publishers suing ChatGPT developer OpenAI
A coalition of Canadian news publishers is suing OpenAI for using news content to train its ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence system.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'
BREAKING Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery
Canada's top court has affirmed the constitutionality of a law that would allow British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers on behalf of other provinces, the territories and the federal government.
Real GDP per capita declines for 6th consecutive quarter, household savings rise
Statistics Canada says the economy grew at an annualized pace of one per cent during the third quarter, in line with economists' expectations.