SA whopping cough spike prompts vax call

Pregnant women are being urged to get whooping cough vaccinations after a spike in cases of the sometimes deadly infection.

File: A pregnant woman. Source: AAP

A spike in whooping cough cases, including babies, has prompted calls for pregnant SA women to get vaccinated.

There have been 260 whooping cough cases in the state so far this year, including four cases in babies under six months old in the past three weeks, compared to 182 cases at the same time in 2016

The SA government provides the vaccine for free to expectant mothers, who are urged to get the vaccine to protect their new born babies.