All babies and children are eligible for free immunisations against whooping cough at six weeks, three months and five months old. Babies are only fully protected from whooping cough after their third vaccination at five months. Children also receive free boosters at four and 11 years of age.
Sativah was too young to be immunised, which is why the Ministry of Health also recommends that pregnant women and soon-to-be dads be immunised as well.
Dr Pat Tuohy, Ministry of Health Immunisation Champion and Chief Advisor Child and Youth Health says: "To protect very young babies from this dangerous and highly infectious disease, we need all children to receive all of their immunisations and, also importantly, to get these on time.
"Adults can often be a source of whooping cough infection for young babies. So those who are caring for small babies at home or at work are strongly encouraged to have a whooping cough booster immunisation".
New Zealand is currently experiencing an outbreak of whooping cough with more than 4900 cases reported since the outbreak began in August last year.
Children under five years old are most affected, especially infants under one who are the most susceptible to catching whooping cough. More than half of the hospitalisations for whooping cough occur in babies under one.
University of Auckland Associate Professor of Paediatrics Cameron Grant says that currently one in three infants in New Zealand are at higher risk of ending up in hospital with whooping cough simply because they haven't been immunised on time.
"The most effective way of reducing the number of little babies in hospital with this horrible disease is by making sure they are immunised on time every time."
Waikato District Health Board Immunisation nurse coordinator Kim Hunter said whooping cough is a serious disease which can make babies gravely ill.
"To see this poor defenceless child [Sativah] struggle for air and choking, for minutes at a time, is just heartbreaking."
