Third baby dies in 2023 whooping cough outbreak

Te Whatu Ora today announced a baby has died from whooping cough.

There have now been three babies under one year which have died from whooping cough in 2023.

Te Whatu Ora said the latest death is not linked to the previous two which were announced on March 9.

"Our condolences are with the three families who have lost tamariki to this highly infectious disease," Dr William Rainger, Te Whatu Ora, clinical lead – health protection, national public health service said.

"Out of respect to the family, we will not be releasing any further information on the most recent death."

According to Te Whatu Ora, there have been 11 cases of whooping cough so far recorded in 2023.

However, it believes the actual number will be much higher due to the high case fatality ratio.

"While reported cases remain low, these deaths are an urgent reminder that whooping cough is a serious illness, especially for younger babies," Dr Rainger said.

"Parents should seek medical advice for their baby or young child if they have a cough that ends with a 'whoop' sound or vomiting.

"The best protection is to ensure that pregnant people, babies and those who will spend time with babies are all immunised."

Te Whatu Ora pointed out what to be on the lookout for when it comes to whooping cough:

Whooping cough starts like a cold with a runny nose, cough and fever, so it can be hard to recognise as a serious illness at first. After seven to ten days the cough becomes more severe and causes coughing fits that may end with a ‘whoop’, dry retching or vomiting. This illness is unpleasant for anyone, but it is life-threatening for babies.

Whooping cough in young babies is unpredictable and can get worse very quickly. Parents should also seek urgent medical advice if their baby:

• Stops breathing

• Goes blue with coughing

• Appears to have a cold, then cough and have difficulty breathing

• Gets exhausted from coughing

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• Is not able to feed properly because of coughing and difficulty breathing

• Loses weight because of difficulty feeding and because the cough causes them to vomit (be sick).