CDC reminds parents to actively monitor their vaccination schedule and make timely appointments with their family doctor to get themselves and their children vaccinated.
Over the past months, several European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries, as well as neighboring countries, have reported an increase in whooping cough cases compared to pre-Covid times. According to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention, children and adolescents are most at risk. In addition, whooping cough affects infants and toddlers who are too young to receive the full course of vaccination.
Infants are at greatest risk of severe whooping cough and death. Almost all deaths from whooping cough in EU/EEA countries occur in children under 3 months of age. It is therefore especially important that pregnant women are vaccinated against whooping cough to ensure that their baby is protected until they are of age for vaccination. The first dose of whooping cough vaccine is given to infants at 2 months of age. In Latvia, pregnant women are provided with free vaccination.
According to epidemiological data, from September 1 to September 30 this year, 680 new cases of whooping cough were registered in Latvia. A total of 2,517 cases were recorded from the beginning of 2024 to September 30.
The highest incidence over the past 50 years was observed in 2019, when 720 cases of whooping cough were reported (37.5 cases per 100,000 population). A significant increase in incidence began in December 2023, when the number of patients was 4.3 times higher than the number of cases in December 2022. The increase in incidence is associated with an increase in the number of people susceptible to infection, which increases the risk of infection, especially among children who have not completed their vaccination course. Therefore, it is important to start vaccination on time and follow its schedule.
According to the current childhood vaccination schedule, pertussis vaccine is given at ages 2, 4, 6, 12–15 months, 7 and 14 years as part of the combination vaccines against pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus and polio, as well as Haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B ( at the age of 2, 4, 6, 12–15 months), whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and polio (at 7 years) and whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus (at 14 years).
Currently, compared to pre-Covid times, the number of unvaccinated children who did not receive a booster vaccination against whooping cough at the ages of 7 and 14 years has increased significantly.
Vaccination against whooping cough in Latvia began in 1958. Before the start of mass vaccination, 27,367 cases were reported in five years, while between 2019 and 2023 there were only 1,228. Thus, the number of cases decreased by 95.5%.
Whooping cough is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease is characterized by a severe paroxysmal cough that can last up to two months or more. Before vaccination, whooping cough was common mainly among children under 5 years of age, especially among infants under one year of age. Now the highest incidence is observed among adolescents, children under one year old and young adults.
The only source of infection is a sick person. The patient is most contagious during the first period of the disease, and a person can shed the bacteria that causes whooping cough for 3 weeks or longer. Whooping cough can be transmitted to others by a person whose illness is mild or who has no visible signs of the disease at all.
If there is a possibility of contracting whooping cough, you should contact your family doctor by phone and get the necessary recommendations; when in contact with other people, you should use a medical mask or respirator to reduce the risk of spreading infection; Contact with children and infants should be avoided.
You can learn more about whooping cough and vaccination options on the website CPKZ
Source: www.gorod.lv
