As cases of whooping cough increase globally, some may wonder if it is necessary to receive a booster.
The cases of childhood respiratory disease also known as whooping cough, is experiencing a resurgence internationally and in parts of the United States, according to a recent report.
Bordetella pertussis is a type of bacteria which causes a highly contagious respiratory infection that spreads from person to person through small respiratory droplets, according to the CDC.
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“Reports indicate that whooping cough outbreaks are increasing in Europe, Asia and parts of the United States, including Northern California, representing the largest increase since 2012, with a sharp increase in cases since December ” said Maggie Rae, chair of the epidemiology department at the Royal Society of Medicine. and the public health section in London, told Fox News Digital.
Bordetella pertussis is a type of bacteria that causes a contagious respiratory infection that spreads from person to person through small respiratory droplets, according to the CDC. (iStock)
Prevalence of cases
In the UK, there were around 555 cases in January this year and 913 cases in February, compared to 858 cases for the whole of 2023, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Cases in China totaled more than 15,000 in January. That’s 15 times more than the same time last year, according to reports.
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“Concerns are growing in Europe, notably in the Netherlands, where 1,800 cases were reported in the first two weeks of April, leading to four deaths, with falling childhood vaccination rates cited as a possible cause by officials of public health,” Rae said.
“This is a very important public health issue, and I urge members of the public who require a vaccine so that the whooping cough will take care of it.”
Pertussis is primarily controlled in the United States, although “breakthrough cases” can occur in fully vaccinated people.
Cases of childhood respiratory illness known as whooping cough or whooping cough are increasing internationally and in parts of the United States, according to a recent report. (iStock)
Case groups in parts of the United States are expected this time of year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There have been small “clusters” of pertussis cases in the United States, stretching from San Francisco to New York.
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A Catholic high school in San Francisco, California, has reported more than 12 cases since January, according to local reports.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimated 244 cases between October 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024.
This is an increase of 200% compared to the same period the previous year, according to a recent health advisory.
“This is a very important public health issue.”
Most unvaccinated cases were in infants, while most vaccinated cases…
