Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Translation Google
Whooping cough is back in Wallonia: should we be worried?
Yesterday at 03:02 - updated yesterday at 07:52
By Alice Devilez, with Renaud Verstraete
Whooping cough is back. The number of cases recorded in Wallonia is increasing at the start of the year: 163 patients have already been diagnosed since January 1. Over the entire year 2023, Wallonia reported 363 cases. If the situation remains under control, general practitioners have still received recommendations in order to best support their patients.
This respiratory disease can be dangerous for people at risk. " For small children, whooping cough can really be dangerous. For older people, people who are immunocompromised, and people who have other health problems, there may be a risk. Again, you can never rule out complications. So, it’s always important to consult your general practitioner, ” explains Lara Kotlar, spokesperson for AVIQ (Walloon Agency for Quality Life).
Death of an infant in December
In October, the AVIQ already reported an increase in the circulation of whooping cough and called for protection in particular of the most vulnerable people, notably infants, through maternal vaccination.
In December, an infant died in Wallonia. The last known death of a child due to whooping cough in Belgium dates back to 2015. The AVIQ specifies that the deceased infant " suffered from no underlying condition " and adds that " the child was himself too young to be vaccinated " and that " vaccination during pregnancy had not been offered to the mother " while maternal vaccination against whooping cough has been " recommended in Belgium for 10 years and its safety has been amply demonstrated in several international studies " .
How to recognize whooping cough?
Faced with this resurgence of whooping cough, how can we recognize this bacteria and what to do if we fall ill?
“ Whooping cough is called “100-day cough”, it is a persistent, annoying, wheezing cough. If you do not feel well for several days, it is important to consult a doctor. General practitioners have been made aware to this increase in cases and will more easily go for screening. After screening, the doctor will be able to prescribe the appropriate medications and then notify us so that we can contact the sick person to be able to inform them of preventive measures. We must then stay at home and treat the symptoms of the disease, ” recommends the AVIQ spokesperson.
The highest number of cases of whooping cough are seen among adolescents and young adults. The AVIQ reminds that they can ask their doctor for their vaccination status. And if necessary, receive a new dose. The whooping cough vaccine is one of the vaccines prescribed for newborns even if it is not obligatory.
https://www.rtbf.be/article/la-coqueluche-est-de-retour-en-wallonie-faut-il-sen-inquieter-11331134
Whooping cough is back in Wallonia: should we be worried?
Yesterday at 03:02 - updated yesterday at 07:52
By Alice Devilez, with Renaud Verstraete
Whooping cough is back. The number of cases recorded in Wallonia is increasing at the start of the year: 163 patients have already been diagnosed since January 1. Over the entire year 2023, Wallonia reported 363 cases. If the situation remains under control, general practitioners have still received recommendations in order to best support their patients.
This respiratory disease can be dangerous for people at risk. " For small children, whooping cough can really be dangerous. For older people, people who are immunocompromised, and people who have other health problems, there may be a risk. Again, you can never rule out complications. So, it’s always important to consult your general practitioner, ” explains Lara Kotlar, spokesperson for AVIQ (Walloon Agency for Quality Life).
Death of an infant in December
In October, the AVIQ already reported an increase in the circulation of whooping cough and called for protection in particular of the most vulnerable people, notably infants, through maternal vaccination.
In December, an infant died in Wallonia. The last known death of a child due to whooping cough in Belgium dates back to 2015. The AVIQ specifies that the deceased infant " suffered from no underlying condition " and adds that " the child was himself too young to be vaccinated " and that " vaccination during pregnancy had not been offered to the mother " while maternal vaccination against whooping cough has been " recommended in Belgium for 10 years and its safety has been amply demonstrated in several international studies " .
How to recognize whooping cough?
Faced with this resurgence of whooping cough, how can we recognize this bacteria and what to do if we fall ill?
“ Whooping cough is called “100-day cough”, it is a persistent, annoying, wheezing cough. If you do not feel well for several days, it is important to consult a doctor. General practitioners have been made aware to this increase in cases and will more easily go for screening. After screening, the doctor will be able to prescribe the appropriate medications and then notify us so that we can contact the sick person to be able to inform them of preventive measures. We must then stay at home and treat the symptoms of the disease, ” recommends the AVIQ spokesperson.
The highest number of cases of whooping cough are seen among adolescents and young adults. The AVIQ reminds that they can ask their doctor for their vaccination status. And if necessary, receive a new dose. The whooping cough vaccine is one of the vaccines prescribed for newborns even if it is not obligatory.
https://www.rtbf.be/article/la-coqueluche-est-de-retour-en-wallonie-faut-il-sen-inquieter-11331134