Several cases of whooping cough have occurred
Cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have occurred in several daycare centres and schools in Chemnitz. Cases have been confirmed in a total of eight facilities over the past three weeks. Due to this increased incidence, the Office for Health and Prevention would like to sensitise parents to check their vaccination protection and that of their children. Vaccination is recommended by the STIKO and SIKO. Depending on which vaccine is used, three to four vaccinations are planned between two and eleven months. A booster is required at pre-school age and at nine to twelve years of age. Adults renew their immunisation protection every ten years with the combined vaccination against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and possibly poliomyelitis. Pregnant women are recommended to be vaccinated in the third trimester of pregnancy to reduce the risk for babies (so-called nest protection).
Whooping cough is one of the diseases that must be reported in accordance with the Infection Protection Act.
"In adolescents and adults, whooping cough often progresses with a long-lasting cough, but without the typical coughing fits. This atypical course makes it difficult to recognise whooping cough. The risk of infection from unrecognised sufferers is correspondingly high," says public health officer Dr Hildegard Geisler.
Complications can occur particularly in the first year of life and in older people. Possible complications include pneumonia or middle ear infections. Rare, but particularly feared, is damage to the brain due to a lack of oxygen. This can occur during coughing fits due to respiratory failure. Paralyses, visual, hearing or mental disorders can remain as permanent damage. This mainly affects infants under the age of
six months. If recognised early, treatment with antibiotics is possible. Without treatment, affected persons must stay at home for 21 days.
Even vaccinated contact persons can be temporarily colonised with the pathogens and thus represent a source of infection for third parties. Therefore, vaccinated close contacts of people suffering from whooping cough should also receive chemoprophylaxis as a precaution if there are people at risk in their environment, such as unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated infants, children with underlying cardiac or pulmonary conditions or pregnant women in their last trimester. Testing for whooping cough is possible with a nasopharyngeal swab.
Last year there were 24 cases of whooping cough in Chemnitz, so far this year there have been 33.