Some schools across the province have already received notification regarding whooping cough booster shots for students in Grades 8 and 9 in the coming weeks.

Public health officials have expanded the vaccine program this year in light of a surge in confirmed cases.

About 250 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed across the province so far this year, according to Dr. Nazlee Ogunyemi, medical officer of health for NL Health Services.

She says the majority of those, just over 200, are in areas with the highest population.

“So we’re still seeing most of our cases in Eastern, but we are seeing spread across the province,” she cautioned.

While cases have been confirmed in people of all ages, most are showing up in the junior-high-school age range, thus the plan to immunize kids in those grades.

“The majority of confirmed cases have been in between the ages of five and 19, and within that group most of our cases have been in the 10- to 14-year-old age group.”