KOTA KINABALU: Parents and caregivers have been advised to be alert to bouts of coughing among children, especially with whooping cough cases on the rise in Sabah.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said whooping cough affects babies more adversely than older children or adults.
“Therefore, it would be best to immediately seek medical attention if your babies or yourself have symptoms of whooping cough.
"These include prolonged fever, coughing and sneezing,” she said after a Health White Paper townhall session here on Friday (April 28).
Dr Zaliha said for Sabah, whooping cough (pertussis) cases recorded from January up to Thursday (April 27) had reached a high of 76 cases involving one death, against just seven cases and no fatalities in the same period last year.
“Of the number this year, 41 patients were Malaysians, 27 were Filipinos and eight were Indonesians,” she said.
Kota Kinabalu district had the most cases at 20, she said, followed by Lahad Datu (16), Tawau (15), Putatan (eight), Semporna and Papar (four each), Kunak and Tambunan (three each), and Kinabatangan, Tuaran and Sandakan (one each).
Dr Zaliha reminded parents to have their children vaccinated against whooping cough according to recommendations by the ministry.
“In Malaysia, we give four pertussis vaccine doses to babies in line with the national immunisation programme schedule and the jabs are given in stages: two months of age, three months, five months, and a booster shot at 18 months,” she said.
She said a person with symptoms of whooping cough must practise proper hygiene and cough or sneeze ethics such as covering the mouth when coughing and washing hands after that to prevent the spread of the disease.
Those with symptoms are also warned against going near babies who have a higher risk of being infected, she added.
On a separate matter, she advised the public to stay indoors more during this hot season to prevent heat stroke and other health complications.
With the recent deaths of two children suspected of being the first heat stroke victims in the country, she said it was vital for everyone to stay vigilant and be aware of their children’s whereabouts and activities.
“We are still investigating whether the two children who died in Kelantan had succumbed mainly to heat stroke or other illnesses.
“Do not take this lightly,” she added.
