SHA releases details after whooping cough exposure at Prince Albert hospital

The SHA is sharing more details on whooping cough in the province following an exposure risk at Victoria Hospital. Jasmine Pelletier reports.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is sharing more details on whooping cough in the province following an exposure risk at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert on April 19.

“There was a PSA put out by the Saskatchewan Health Authority,” said Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill when asked about the province’s communication on the exposure risk. “Obviously whenever there is a situation where there might be an elevated risk to the public in a healthcare facility certainly a public service announcement is put out. Just to make sure that people know that there might be elevated risk.”

The infection, also called pertussis, is spread through droplets in the air in the same way as a common cold, although the SHA says whooping cough is more infectious.

Small children and babies under one year old are most at risk along with pregnant women in the third trimester as the infection can be passed to newborns.

Early symptoms are sneezing, a runny nose, a fever and a cough which gets worse over time and can lead to vomiting.

Severe cases can lead to complications like seizures, impacts on brain function and rib fractures from intense coughing. Whooping cough can sometimes be fatal in babies.

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Adults may see more milder symptoms, said Dr. Mandiangu Nsungu.

“Adults and adolescents may not necessarily have those classic symptoms,” he explained. “They may have just something like a protracted cough that goes on for a long time. So especially now that we know that pertussis is prevalent, people should become suspicious in such situations where they for example have that type of protracted cough.”

In 2025 Saskatchewan saw 218 reported cases of whooping cough.

The numbers for 2026 may be slightly higher based on trends from the first quarter with 62 cases recorded from January to March.

“This is a preventable disease, a vaccine-preventable disease,” said Nsungu. “This is an opportunity for people to check their immunization status and if they are not immunized, or if they are not fully immunized, of course, there is an opportunity for them to update their immunization status.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of reported whooping cough cases in the province decreased, but it has risen again in the last several years.