Prime Highlight:
- Whooping cough (pertussis) is rapidly resurging across Europe, with infants under two months, too young to be vaccinated, facing the greatest danger of severe illness or death.
- Health experts strongly emphasize maternal vaccination during pregnancy as the most effective way to protect newborns through early immunity.
Key Facts:
- The ECDC reported over 25,000 cases in 2023, and more than 32,000 cases in just the first three months of 2024, marking a sharp post-pandemic increase due to the natural disease cycle and reduced social restrictions.
- In France, over 50% of pertussis cases in children are transmitted by a parent, highlighting the importance of family awareness and vaccination.
Background
Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is spreading quickly again across Europe, with more cases than before the pandemic. Health experts warn that infants, especially those under two months who are too young to be vaccinated, face the highest risk of severe illness or death.
The disease causes long, intense coughing in older children and adults, but it can be life-threatening for babies. In infants, it may lead to breathing pauses and very high white blood cell levels.
The ECDC reported more than 25,000 pertussis cases in 2023, and in just the first three months of 2024, over 32,000 cases were already reported. The increase is due to the fact that after the pandemic, social restrictions have been reduced, and the cycles of natural pertussis occur, which are periodically increased every three to five years.
Health experts say maternal vaccination during pregnancy is the most effective way to protect newborns. Antibodies passed from mother to baby provide early immunity. “Vaccinating mothers during pregnancy is critical to protect newborns from this potentially fatal illness,” said Dr. Caitlin Li, infectious-disease specialist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
In addition to maternal vaccination, WHO Europe advises prompt antibiotic treatment for infected people and avoiding contact with infants and pregnant women. In France, over half of the children who get pertussis catch it from a parent.
The surge highlights the urgent need for vaccination and awareness to protect Europe’s youngest and most vulnerable population.
