A one-month-old baby died in June from whooping cough, Chief Sanitary Inspector Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski reported on TVN24. This is the result of, among other things, the growing number of refusals to vaccinate and a sharp increase in whooping cough cases.
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Whooping cough is a very dangerous disease, especially for infants who do not yet have post-vaccination immunity.
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— The first case this year, which was recorded in June, is the death of a one-month-old child who had not yet been vaccinated against whooping cough, because, as we know, in Poland we start vaccinations against whooping cough from the 7th week of life — said the Chief Sanitary Inspector Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, M.D..
He added that we are dealing with an unfortunate case – a child who did not yet have post-vaccination immunity was infected. At the same time, the mother, while pregnant, did not get vaccinated against whooping cough. For this group of people, this vaccination is recommended, but not very common in Poland.
— Very few people get vaccinated here. Remember that immunity against whooping cough does not last a lifetime after vaccination. It is a maximum of 5 to 7 years after the vaccine we took. Adults should receive a vaccine against whooping cough regularly every 10 years. — emphasized the head of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.
The number of cases of whooping cough is growing dynamically
He also noted that whooping cough is a very dangerous disease, especially for infants who do not yet have post-vaccination immunity. This develops at the earliest after the third dose of the vaccine, so approximately when the child is six months old.
— This sad case of the death of a child who is not yet vaccinated shows what herd immunity is all about. This child was infected by someone from outside. It could have been someone from the immediate or distant environment, but it was most likely an unvaccinated person who contracted whooping cough themselves — added the expert.
The number of cases in Poland is increasing primarily because the number of vaccinated people has decreased. According to the latest epidemiological report of the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, From January 1 to July 15, 2024, 6,844 cases of whooping cough were recorded in Poland. In the same period last year, there were 448. In the whole of 2023, 927 people fell ill with whooping cough, in 2022 — 371.
In recent months, several other European countries have also seen an increase in the number of cases compared to previous years. A state of epidemic due to whooping cough was declared in Bulgaria in May of this year. A record number of people have also fallen ill in the Czech Republic, among others.
What are the symptoms of whooping cough?
Whooping cough is an acute, bacterial respiratory disease. It spreads by airborne droplets. In the first two weeks of infection, it mainly manifests itself with a runny nose, dry cough, low-grade fever, pain and inflammation of the throat. In the later phase of the disease, coughing fits, shortness of breath, expectoration of mucus or vomiting may also occur.
In adults, whooping cough is often confused with a cold or flu. In children under 6 months of age, apnea may occur instead of coughing fits. In their case, it is possible to lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen. This, without effective treatment, can lead to death. In the case of children, whooping cough can also lead to complications such as purulent pneumonia, otitis media, or permanent brain damage.
Mandatory and recommended vaccinations against whooping cough
In Poland, vaccination against whooping cough is one of the mandatory vaccinations. According to the current vaccination schedule, it should be carried out six times. — when the child reaches 2, 3-4, 5-6 and 16-18 months of age, and also at 6 and 14 years of age. It is also recommended to get the vaccine at 19 years of age and then every 10 years. Newborns can be protected against whooping cough if the mother takes the vaccine during pregnancy.
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