Three outbreaks of whooping cough in Cerdanyol del Valles have affected at least 18 people.

The Ministry of Health stated at least three coughing fits V Cerdanyola del Valles (Western Valley), with 18 cases reported all of them are in a family environment, which was confirmed by sources in the department of EL PERIÓDICO. This is a smaller outbreak than the one recently recorded in Guadalajara (Madrid), 124 people were injured. choking cough growing throughout Spain and pediatricians observe isolated cases.

Last whooping cough report from the Catalan Public Health Agency (Aspcat), dated February 13 and reported by the Ara newspaper, had already reported exponential increase cases of this disease: already registered in Catalonia this year 342 cases, compared to 530 for all of the previous year. That is, in a month and a half, Salyut has already discovered more than half of cases of infection than for the entire previous year.

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is bacterial acute respiratory infection, highly contagious and has a cold-like onset. This counts endemic disease worldwide with outbreaks of epidemics every three to five years. According to Salyut, in January Aspcat said: three outbreaks of whooping cough in Cerdanyol del Valles, 18 cases have been declared, although there are outbreaks, still “under investigation” department sources say.

Most cases of whooping cough occur in family and educational spheres. control measures that are carried out in the event of an outbreak are, in a broad sense, recommendations for isolation and treatment of the patient, as well as chemoprophylaxis with antibiotics and vaccination of contacts if they do not comply with the vaccination schedule. Salute warns that children and teachers in the educational field with suspicious clinic (in the event of an outbreak or vulnerable contacts) or with a confirmed case, they should start antibiotic treatment and not attend the educational center for five days from the start of antibiotic treatment.

Missing due to pandemic

choking cough “disappeared” with the covid pandemic, as has happened with many other infectious diseases. It’s a disease as contagious as measles. “Of the vaccines included in the children’s calendar, there are two that do little to help fight the disease: choking cough and what of piggy”, the pediatrician explains to this newspaper Fernando Moraga-Llop, representative of the Spanish Association of Vaccinologists.

According to Moraga-Llopa, the whooping cough vaccine, which began being administered in the early 2000s, “much less effective than the previous one.” But the previously existing vaccine was stopped being administered because it caused various side effects, such as high fever and crying in children. Despite this, it is important to continue vaccination at this dose as it provides protection.

In addition, this pediatrician notes, the whooping cough vaccine It is given for 2, 4 and 11 months. “Then there’s a reminder at age six, and then they don’t get any more shots.” Pediatricians have been calling for this for a long time. another memory at 14 years old, age at which vaccines have already been administered diphtheria And tetanus. “This will reduce outbreaks in schools, which usually occurs in children 9 and 10 years old.

choking cough may be serious for very young children, but since all pregnant women are now vaccinated, babies are protected antibodies breast milk. “Since 2015, not a single child has died from whooping cough in Catalonia,” says Moraga-Llop.

Importance of vaccination

Epidemiologist Joan Kayla,

member of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE), draws a comparison between what is happening in Spain with whooping cough and what is happening in Eastern Europe with measles, a disease that is also growing rapidly in countries such as Romania. “In Romania, measles vaccination coverage has dropped significantly. People should get vaccinated,” says Kayla.

According to Aspcat’s latest report on whooping cough, vaccination coverage against the disease in Catalonia has not decreased but remains at a “very high level”. about 95%. “Despite this, these reports decrease with subsequent doses and with age,” take the health document.