(DIR) Home
        
        
       EU health watchdog urges vaccinations to stem surge in Whooping Cough
       cases
        
 (HTM) Source
        
       ----------------------------------------------------------------------
        
       STOCKHOLM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Centre for Disease
       Prevention and Control (ECDC) called for member states to increase
       their vaccination efforts in response to a significant increase in
       reported cases of Whooping Cough.
        
       The ECDC said in a press release that from 2023 to April this year,
       nearly 60,000 cases of potentially fatal infection were reported by
       countries in the European Union/European Economic Area -- a tenfold
       increase compared to the previous two years, with over 32,000 cases
       reported between January and March alone.
        
       The rise in Whooping Cough, also known as Pertussis, can be linked to
       several factors, including expected epidemic peaks, lack of
       vaccination or outdated vaccinations, waning immunity and decreased
       natural boosting in the overall population during the COVID-19
       pandemic, the ECDC said.
        
       Infants younger than six months face the highest risk of severe
       outcomes, with the majority of pertussis-related hospitalizations and
       deaths occurring in this age group, the ECDC said.
        
       ECDC Director Andrea Ammon highlighted the importance of vaccination,
       saying that "vaccines against pertussis have proven to be safe and
       effective, and every action we take today shapes the health of
       tomorrow."
        
       "We have a responsibility, as parents or as public health
       professionals, to protect the most vulnerable group from the deadly
       impact of this disease," Ammon noted.
        
       EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides echoed
       this sentiment, emphasizing the need for vigilance and the critical
       role of vaccination in preventing the spread of the disease.
        
       While EU/EEA countries recommend maternal immunization alongside
       childhood vaccination, the ECDC urged public health authorities to
       enhance surveillance and vaccination efforts. Additionally, member
       states were encouraged to communicate the risks of the disease and the
       importance of vaccination to promote vaccine acceptance and uptake.
        
       ■
        
        
        
        
       ______________________________________________________________________
                                                 Served by Flask-Gopher/2.2.1