22 April 2024 | 08:29
/KROSS/ After the death of the two babies in Kyustendilsko, infected with whooping cough – is an epidemic looming? After the tragic news, the chief state health inspector Assoc. Angel Kunchev warned of a national epidemic of whooping cough. Since the beginning of the year, over 200 cases of whooping cough have been registered, while in 2023 there were only 4.
To form a working group to discuss pertussis vaccination in pregnant women. This is what doctors are calling for, giving as an example the practice in the countries of Western Europe.
Currently in our country, babies are immunized after two months, so newborns are most at risk of getting sick. Among the other proposals of the medics is the introduction of reimmunization for adults.
The country has seen a serious increase in the number of people suffering from whooping cough in recent months, compared to only 4 cases of the disease last year, and 280 from January to date, with two babies dying.
“In many countries of Western Europe, and pregnant women in the last trimester of their pregnancy are vaccinated against whooping cough. This ensures transplacental transfer of antibodies from the mother to the fetus and protects the baby during those 2 months after birth, when she is at risk of infection. In Bulgaria, this is still not happening and I very much hope that a working group will be formed and that this decision will be discussed, and it is good to consider for elderly patients, among whom there are also healthy carriers, a new booster to be placed every 10 years. as is the case with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines,” explained Dr. Natalia Gabrovska, deputy head of the Children’s Pulmonology Clinic at Prof. Ivan Mitev Hospital – Sofia.
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Tags: Natalia Gabrovska Western European countries pregnant women trimester pregnancy vaccinated whooping cough
