"Vigilance required"

Whooping cough on the rise in Austria

A toddler with whooping cough(Bild: Miljan Zivkovic - stock.adobe.com)

More whooping cough cases were recorded in Austria last year, and in March 2024 a newborn baby in Graz died from the disease (see video above). "The increase in the number of whooping cough cases across Europe shows that vigilance is needed," said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

This is a serious disease, especially in infants. Whooping cough (pertussis) is an acute infection of the upper respiratory tract; typical symptoms are spasmodic coughing fits and a wheezing sound when breathing. Sneezing, a runny nose and a sore throat may also occur. The infection is transmitted by droplet infection. Without vaccination, most people who come into contact with the pathogen fall ill.

Between 2023 and April 2024, almost 60,000 cases of whooping cough were reported across Europe, an increase of more than tenfold compared to 2022 and 2021. According to a report by the EU health authority ECDC, Austria has the lowest pertussis vaccination rate in Europe at 84 percent. Greece, Hungary and Portugal had the highest rates in 2022 with 99 percent each.

A toddler with whooping cough(Bild: Miljan Zivkovic - stock.adobe.com)

Vaccination for children free of charge
In Austria, vaccination is given in the third, fifth and eleventh to twelfth month of life and is free of charge for children. At school age, a combination vaccination with diphtheria, tetanus and polio is then repeated. Thereafter, a booster vaccination should be given every ten years or every five years from the age of 60. A vaccine against whooping cough is also recommended for pregnant women, preferably in the 27th to 36th week.

"Vaccination is our most important tool for saving lives and preventing the further spread of the disease," Kyriakides is convinced. Severe and even life-threatening courses are possible, especially in babies. On average, patients are no longer infectious five days after starting treatment.