Whooping cough: first a record of cases, now no vaccines. How to cope?

20 times more whooping cough cases than a year ago. Are you trying to save yourself with a vaccine now? There is a problem. Despite additional supplies, there are still appalling shortages. The popular Boostrix preparation is available in 2%. pharmacies, the situation with the Adacel vaccine is no better. It will be easier in the coming months, but what to do now?

Autor: GettyImages

We are vaccinated against pertussis (whooping cough) compulsorily in early childhood. Teenagers are also entitled to a free booster dose.

Even if you have taken all the mandatory doses, there is no guarantee that you will be sufficiently protected for the rest of your life and that you will not contract whooping cough again.

Over time, our post-vaccination immunity decreases. Therefore, according to the information of the National Institute of Public Health PZH – National Research Institute, revaccination against pertussis is also recommended at the age of 19 and for adults every 10 years. Pregnant women should also be vaccinated.

How to do this when there are no vaccines?

Vaccinations during pregnancy

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No pertussis vaccines – “talks are ongoing”

We are beginning to feel the painful effects of the terrifying trend of not vaccinating children – this year, 14,500 have already been ill with whooping cough. people in Poland. This is 20 times more than last year.

The disease affects not only people who were not vaccinated in childhood, but also those who did not take the recommended doses and partially lost their immunity.

Due to the record level of whooping cough cases in Poland this year, significantly more people would like to be vaccinated. The situation was made worse by the “logistical and distribution” problems of the two main producers of the sought-after pertussis vaccines, who announced in the summer that they would solve them in the near future.

The Polish market quickly absorbed an additional 100,000 doses. Further large deliveries are announced in October and November.

Endless coughing until vomiting. Whooping cough cuts you off from life for several weeks…

Lack of pertussis vaccine – problem “partially solved”

M. Pharm. Klaudia Ćwiąkała from the website GłosPoLek.pl informed us that the situation in pharmacies has been stabilizing in recent days, although it is still serious:

Due to improved availability, the number of inquiries about these vaccines is decreasing, although they still remain among the 20 most frequently searched products.

As the pharmacist explains, an equivalent of the scarce Adacel from intervention imports has appeared on the market under the name Traixis, the availability of which in pharmacies is currently 4%.

Additionally, pharmacies offer bulk packages of the Boostrix vaccine, containing 10 pre-filled syringes, from which pharmacists can dispense single doses – availability is currently as high as 13%. Both vaccines can be purchased without the need to change your prescription.

Adacel is expected to be available in pharmacies again at the end of October, while single packs of Boostrix began to be delivered successively at the beginning of the week.

Therefore, it is possible that the vaccine was not available in a pharmacy where a few days ago it is now available.

There may soon be a shortage of important drugs for cancer and epilepsy patients. “Lack of good…

To get the vaccine in Niepołomice?

A well-known online pharmacist from Niepołomice, Paulina Front, reminds that pharmacies face the problem of lack of availability of many drugs almost every day and “keep your finger on the pulse.” Her pharmacy actually offers vaccines in bulk packaging:

I have vaccines at home because there was a pool available from the manufacturer of imported bulk packaging (packed in 10 pieces), which, of course, a pharmacy can normally distribute and vaccinate with. You have to use all avenues to obtain medicines and, unfortunately, you still need luck to get them.

Whooping cough vaccination – can combined vaccines be used?

Multi-component vaccines containing pertussis vaccine are available in pharmacies. Unfortunately, they do not solve the current problem, because 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 vaccines are not used as a booster vaccination for adults.

In exceptional cases, it is allowed to administer another preparation with a composition as similar as possible, e.g. Boostrix Polio or Adacel Polio. Although additional poliovirus antigens are not necessary unless the patient plans to travel to a poliomyelitis-endemic region, their administration is considered safe.

– explains M. Pharm. Klaudia Ćwiąkała from the website GłosPoLek.pl.

However, this solution is decided only by the doctor and must issue a new prescription for such a vaccine.

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