Pregnant women should be vaccinated against whooping cough

“Pregnant women who want can be vaccinated against whooping cough and thus pass on antibodies to their future baby.” This is what Prof. Atanas Mangarov said, taking the children’s department of the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Sofia to bTV.

He explained that the newborn will be protected up to 2 months after birth. It is then that babies are immunized.

Cases of whooping cough are increasing in our country, especially among children, and many are worried. Assoc. Mangarov added that we are in a pre-epidemic situation and said that the elderly are not at risk, but children should be protected.

“There is no relief from the cough with medicines. The other name of the disease is “100-day cough”. We cannot cure ourselves with antibiotics, we protect others from infection with them,” explained the doctor.

He also commented on the deaths of newborns from Kyustendil infected with whooping cough.

“Premature newborns are at risk, as were the deceased babies. For newborns up to 2 months of age, in order to protect themselves, it is good not to meet potential carriers of the disease,” the doctor advised.

But elderly people with whooping cough cannot suffocate from coughing, Mangerov added.

However, according to him, the disease will continue to spread.

Which children are subject to mandatory pertussis immunization in 2024?

All children born in 2012 are subject to mandatory immunization this year. They can provide immunization in the shortest possible time. Children of 6 years of age, born in 2018, are also subject to mandatory immunization.

How is pertussis contracted?

Whooping cough is spread by airborne droplets – when we talk to each other, when we communicate in a group. Contagion is very high. Both the healthy and the sick can be carriers. If the child has symptoms, it is good to remove him from the team, consult a doctor, rule out this disease and not put ourselves at risk.

When there is an epidemic outbreak in a given school or collective, quarantine is required. Doctors and nurses should monitor children’s immunization schedules. If there is a gap – the child should be directed to be vaccinated, specialists recommend.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough?

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial disease that affects the lungs and respiratory tract. It is also known as whooping cough. It is caused by bacteria in the mouth, nose and throat of an infected person.

Symptoms usually appear 7 to 10 days after infection, but it can take as long as 21 days:

Initially, the symptoms resemble a common cold (sneezing, runny nose, mild fever and mild cough).

Within two weeks, the cough worsens and is characterized by numerous short-term coughs, followed by a specific inspiratory sound – a reprise.

Attacks often result in the expectoration of a clear liquid, followed by vomiting. At first, symptoms occur at night, then increase during the day and can last up to one or two months.

In young infants, the typical respite may not be reached, and coughing fits may be followed by brief periods of respiratory arrest. After this phase, the attacks become less frequent and less intense, and the child’s condition gradually improves (which can take up to three months).