Pretoria - Nurses and pregnant women have been urged to vaccinate against whooping cough following an increase in infections among young children.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said there has been an increase in cases of pertussis among children younger than 5 reported in the Western Cape, especially among infants younger than three months.
Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by Bordetella pertussis and is a notifiable medical condition.
Following vaccination a person’s immunity against the disease lasted for about five to six years. Episodic increases in pertussis cases have reportedly occurred in vaccinated populations every three to five years. But the completion of childhood primary series and boosters was important for the prevention of the disease.
The NICD advised clinicians to be on the alert and to conduct diagnostic testing to ensure notification of cases on the Notifiable Medical Conditions app. Also, to prescribe post-exposure prophylaxis to close and high-risk contacts of suspected or confirmed cases. Health-care workers and pregnant women must be vaccinated where possible.
From the beginning of 2022 to September 15, 147 cases were notified, with a steady increase in cases since May and a sharp increase from July and August to September. Of the 147, 77% were children younger than 5 and 79% younger than three months.
Most cases, (42%), were in the Western Cape, but in July and August, cases were evenly distributed across provinces.
Pretoria News