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Teens to get whooping cough booster

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Teenagers in Tasmania will soon be given a whooping cough vaccination booster shot.

Teenagers in Tasmania will soon be given a whooping cough vaccination booster shot.There have been about 50 notifications of whooping cough in Tasmania so far this year.Last week, a midwife at the Hobart Private Hospital’s neo-natal unit was diagnosed with the bacterial infection.The hospital has alerted the parents of about 30 babies who may have been exposed to the infection.The director of public health, Roscoe Taylor, says because whooping cough vaccinations do not last a lifetime, the disease is a constant public health issue.Dr Taylor says changes to the vaccine schedule will mean next year 15-year-olds will be given a whooping cough booster shot.”That will be really good to boost the immunity of that age group, so at least we’ll get five or maybe even 10 years of extra protection in that age group and that will be less of the population able to circulate it around and spread it to others,” he said. By giving the booster shot to the teenagers it is hoped that the number of reported cases will drop.(Source: ABC News, Dec 2003)


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Dates

Posted On: 22 December, 2003
Modified On: 5 December, 2013


Created by: myVMC