Danger for infants: There have never been so many whooping cough cases!
Almost twice as many diseases as in 2013
Since the beginning of the registration obligation there have never been so many whooping cough cases as now. In 2016, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) registered 22,119 illnesses; in 2013, just over 12,000, just over half were registered. Since the beginning of the year, 1554 patients have been counted.
Adults are usually not protected
Especially for babies in the first year of life, the highly contagious respiratory tract infection can be fatal. Therefore, vaccine protection for newborns can be vital. Their caregivers should also be protected.
After all, at school enrollment in 2014, according to RKI, a good 95 percent of the children were vaccinated against whooping cough. But what many do not know: The pertussis vaccine has to be refreshed again and again. Therefore, only every fifth to tenth is protected among adults.
Especially women who want to have children should get vaccinated!
These vaccinations are recommended by the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko):
? For baby four partial vaccinations at the age of 2,3,4 and 11 to 14 months of life. Since whooping cough may be life-threatening for infants, they should be vaccinated as soon as possible. The vaccinations can be partly carried out in the early detection examinations.
? For Children and adolescents one booster each with 5 to 6 years and 9 to 17 years.
? adult should receive the next due vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria once in combination with a vaccination against whooping cough. This also applies if a case of injury requires a tetanus vaccination.
? Women of childbearing age Like parents, grandparents, childminders and other close infants, they should be protected. If a pregnant woman or mother is not vaccinated, her baby will not be protected until the first vaccination at the age of two months.
The protection after a disease lasts about 7 to 20 years, after vaccination about 3.5 to 12 years.
Whooping cough: infection, symptoms, therapy
The pertussis pathogen spreads over tiny droplets when coughing, sneezing and speaking. Those who become infected with the bacterium often have only mild symptoms of runny nose and cough for a week or two. This is followed by a long-lasting, dry cough, typical is the gasping intake of air. The coughing fits usually occur at night. The disease can last up to six weeks. Only in the early stage can pertussis be combated with antibiotics. But then the disease is often not recognized.