A sharp increase in the number of whooping cough cases has been observed in Austria: there have been more than 12,000 cases since January! The number of sick adults with complications and a long course has increased alarmingly in recent years. Booster vaccination is therefore recommended earlier and more often. We have all the information for you.
The year before, 2,791 infections with the life-threatening infection for infants were registered in this country. This year, 12,789 cases had been recorded on October 10 alone.
Illness must be reported
While 579 whooping cough infections were reported across Austria in 2015, the numbers had already risen to 2,233 infections in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the Corona measures, there was only a temporary decrease to 632, 129 and 164 cases in the three years 2020 to 2022. Whooping cough is reportable.
More and more adults are getting sick
What is particularly striking is a significant increase in diseases in adulthood, mainly affecting the 40 to 45 age group. There has also been a significant increase in whooping cough cases among 15-20 year olds and 65 to 70 year olds.
Similar disease distributions can be observed worldwide, which can be explained by the loss of the protective effect within a few years after vaccination or experiencing a disease.
- For whom is a vaccination important?
Maintaining protection through vaccination and regular booster shots is the most effective way to prevent disease. In principle, vaccination against whooping cough is especially important for women who want to have children before becoming pregnant, pregnant women from the second trimester of pregnancy, people around a newborn, people working in medical institutions, teachers, etc.
- How often are people vaccinated against whooping cough?
The vaccination is given as part of the six-fold vaccination in the 3rd, 5th and 11th to 12th months of life and is part of the free vaccination program. At school age, a combination vaccination with diphtheria, tetanus and polio is repeated in the 7th to 9th year of life.
After the basic immunization at a young age and the booster vaccination at school age, a booster vaccination with whooping cough as a combination vaccine with diphtheria, tetanus and polio should be given every ten years until the age of 60 and every five years from the age of 60. further. If at least two booster vaccinations against polio have already been given in adulthood, a triple vaccine (diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough) is sufficient for all further booster vaccinations.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease and is mainly caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Whooping cough is extremely contagious. After one to two weeks the typical clinical picture occurs with barking, jerky and convulsive coughing attacks, sometimes even leading to vomiting.
In addition to the typical coughing attacks, which can sometimes last weeks or months, infants and small children in particular are at risk of particularly serious illnesses with associated pneumonia and the increased risk of respiratory arrest.
The 30 to 40 severe coughing attacks per day can lead to excessive inflation of the lungs, bleeding from the conjunctiva of the eyes, purulent bronchitis, otitis media, pneumonia and/or asthma. A lack of oxygen during coughing attacks can also pose a great danger. Babies are particularly at risk because, instead of the typical coughing fits, they can sometimes stop breathing, leading to sudden death.
Source: Krone
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