Whooping cough outbreaks are expanding across Europe, Asia and parts of the United States, including Northern California. Since December of last year, cases of whooping cough have risen sharply in the United Kingdom and Europe, in particular. This year’s uptick represents the largest surge since 2012, according to NBC News.
In Europe, the situation is concerning. In the Netherlands, for example, according to the Dutch news service NOS, 1,800 cases of whooping cough were reported in the first two weeks of April, including 50 in babies who are most at risk.
And this year’s aggregate tally thus far is 5,303, which includes 276 babies. Nearly half of the 276 infants were admitted to hospital and four have died. Also, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment reported this week the death of a person with whooping cough who was over 80 years old.
According to the Dutch Institute, the numbers are “very high” compared to previous years. To illustrate, in 2023 there were a total of 2,842 cases of whooping cough for the entire year.
The Dutch Public Health Authority cites as a possible cause of the current outbreak the declining childhood vaccination rate. Public health officials note that when parents do not fully vaccinate their children, the risk of transmission increases.
The Czech Republic has also been hit lately by a “soaring number of whooping cases,” according to Barron’s. The rapidly intensifying outbreak there has already led to three fatalities, health authorities said earlier this week.
Source: Forbes
