No Whooping Cough cases in Samoa – Health confirms

Apia, Samoa – 26 November 2024 – There is no confirmed case of whooping cough in Samoa so far “but only suspected cases currently being tested in New Zealand for verification.”

This was confirmed by the Assistant Director General of Health, Tagaloa Dr. Robert Thomsen.

“New Zealand has declared a whooping cough epidemic and we are taking precautionary measures,” he said.

The Health Ministry is cautioning parents to ensure their children are vaccinated and for the public to wear masks if they have a cough.

Tagaloa said even though there is no confirmed case in Samoa, “we should not put our guards down but to prepare for the worst.”

He said the Ministry is not taking the “no case lightly” but to ensure that all is done to protect the country.

In October 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an Epidemic and Emerging Disease Alert for the Pacific and some of the diseases noted in the alert are the Zika Virus, Malaria, Typhoid, Dengue Fever and Measles.