At least 17 countries in the European Union record an increase in pertussis cases — between January and December of last year, 25,130 cases were reported on the continent. Between January and March this year, 32,037 cases were registered in the region in different age groups, with the highest incidence among children under 1 year old, followed by groups aged 5 to 9 years old and 1 to 4 years old.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention China reported that, in 2024, 32,380 cases and 13 deaths from pertussis were reported in the country until February. A Bolivia also records an outbreak of the disease, with 693 confirmed cases from January to August 2023, 435 (62.8%) in children under 5 years of age, in addition to eight deaths.
At the Brazil , the last epidemic peak of pertussis occurred in 2014, when 8,614 cases were confirmed. From 2015 to 2019, the number of confirmed cases varied between 3,110 and 1,562. From 2020 onwards, there was a significant reduction in cases of the disease, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation.
From 2019 to 2023, all 27 federative units reported cases of whooping cough. Pernambuco confirmed the highest number of cases (776), followed by São Paulo (300), Minas Gerais (253), Paraná (158), Rio Grande do Sul (148) and Bahia (122). In the same period, 12 deaths from the disease were recorded, 11 in 2019 and one in 2020.
In 2024, the numbers remain high. The São Paulo Health Department reported 139 cases of whooping cough from January to the beginning of June — an increase of 768.7% compared to the same period last year, when there were 16 records of the disease in the state. And declared alert.
Vaccination schedule
The Ministry of Health reinforces that the main form of preventing whooping cough is the vaccination of children under 1 year of age, with the application of booster doses at 15 months and 4 years, in addition to the immunization of pregnant and postpartum women and professionals in the field. of health.
The primary vaccination schedule consists of three doses, at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months, of the penta vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b, followed by booster doses with DTP vaccine, against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, known as triple bacterial.
For pregnant women, as a passive immunization strategy for newborns, since 2014, one dose of the adult Tdap vaccine per pregnancy has been recommended, starting from the twentieth week. For those who were not immunized during pregnancy, the recommendation is to administer a dose of dTpa in the postpartum period, as early as possible and up to 45 days postpartum.
Since 2019, the Tdap vaccine has also been indicated for health professionals, traditional midwives and health interns working in intensive care units (ICU) and conventional neonatal intensive care units (CICU) and nurseries, as a complement to the regimen vaccination for diphtheria and tetanus or as a booster for those who have the complete vaccination schedule for diphtheria and tetanus.
Expanded immunization
Amid so many whooping cough outbreaks, the ministry published this month a technical note recommending expanding, on an exceptional basis, and intensifying vaccination against the disease in Brazil. The ministry also asks states and municipalities to strengthen epidemiological surveillance actions for pertussis cases.
The document expands the indication for use of the Tdap vaccine (acellular triple bacterial adult type), which combats diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, for health workers who work in public and private health services, outpatient and hospital, providing care in gynecology and obstetrics ; childbirth and immediate postpartum, including birthing centers; ICUs and ICUs, nurseries (low, medium and high risk) and pediatrics.
Also according to the technical note, professionals who work as doulas, accompanying pregnant women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum; In addition to workers who work in nurseries and daycare centers where children up to 4 years old are cared for, they must also be immunized against whooping cough.
Dose administration to this population must consider vaccination history against diphtheria and tetanus (dT). People with a complete vaccination schedule should receive a dose of dTpa, even if the last immunization was less than ten years ago. Those who have administered less than three doses should receive one dose of dTpa and complete the regimen with one or two doses of dT.
The disease
Caused by the bacteria Bordetella Pertussis, whooping cough, also known as whooping cough, is a respiratory infection present throughout the world. The main characteristic is attacks of dry cough, but the disease can also affect the trachea and bronchi. Cases tend to spread more in times of mild or cold weather, such as spring and winter.
In children, immunity to the disease is acquired only when three doses of the vaccine are administered, requiring boosters at 15 months and 4 years of age. Babies under 6 months of age may experience complications from whooping cough and the condition can lead to death.
The ministry warns that an adult, even having been vaccinated as a baby, may become susceptible again to whooping cough, as the vaccine may lose its effect over time. Due to the risk of exposure, immunizing children in the first months of life is so important.
Transmission of whooping cough occurs mainly through direct contact between the patient and an unvaccinated person through droplets eliminated by coughing, sneezing or even talking. In some cases, transmission can occur through objects recently contaminated with secretions from sick people.
Symptoms can manifest on three levels. In the first, the mildest, the symptoms are similar to those of a cold and include general malaise, runny nose, dry cough and low-grade fever. These initial symptoms can last for weeks, during which time the person is also more susceptible to transmitting the disease.
In the intermediate stage of whooping cough, the dry cough worsens and other signs appear and the cough goes from mild and dry to severe and uncontrolled, which can compromise breathing. Coughing attacks can also cause vomiting or extreme tiredness. Generally, the signs and symptoms of whooping cough last between six and ten weeks.
Source: CNN Brasil
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