Whooping cough cases on the rise in Ottawa [Video]

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 …