Whooping cough: What you need to know
Childhood vaccinations to protect against whooping cough are needed at ages six weeks, three months and five months, and again at four years
A further booster is given at age 11 years (school year 7).
Vaccination is free for pregnant women.
Adults are eligible for one free booster from age 45 (if they have not had four previous tetanus doses) and can get one free from age 65.
Whooping cough causes breathing difficulties and severe coughing fits. The cough can go on for weeks or months which is why it is sometimes called the “100-day cough”.
People are most infectious in the early stages - with the first signs of whooping cough usually appearing around 1 week after infection
Symptoms (after about one week):
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A blocked or runny nose
Sneezing
A mild fever
Uncontrollable coughing fits that last for a few minutes
Coughing that leads to vomiting
A thick mucus that can make you vomit or choke
During coughing spells, young babies may gasp for air and may briefly stop breathing and turn blue
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Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.7% Second half of November
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43.9% 1st December
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17.7% A week before Christmas
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32.6% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below