Doctors in Timișoara, Romania, sound the alarm regarding the numerous cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, as it is popularly known.
Only in Timișoara, 24 cases have been detected, the most in Romania. Doctors say this is caused by the lack of vaccination.
"Yesterday, I think we were in the first place in the country with the most confirmed cases of whooping cough. It's about children, of course, unvaccinated.
There were 24 cases yesterday, if I'm not mistaken. This shows that children have not been vaccinated, and when the vaccination rate is low, the number of cases starts to rise," said Assoc. Prof. Ovidiu Roşca, from the "Victor Babeş" Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Timișoara, on Medika TV.
Asked how complicated the condition is, Dr. Ovidiu Roşca explained that there can be mortality in the case of infants.
"In children under 3 months, the mortality rate is between 1 and 3 percent. As the age increases, the risk of severe forms decreases, but that doesn't mean they can't get it. The most exposed to this disease are children under 3 months and those up to 2 years old. The risk is highest in children under 3 months, they develop severe forms, complications, and can even be left with sequelae, from problems in the nervous system to respiratory insufficiencies," Roşca specified.
The doctor also states that the disease can be prevented through vaccination.
"It is a preventable disease through vaccination, the vaccine is included in the national schedule, they just need to go to the family doctor and vaccinate the children," Roşca added.
European countries have reported a considerable increase in cases of whooping cough in 2023 and the first three months of 2024. The number of identified cases is ten times higher compared to each of the two previous years.