Whooping cough... I need to be careful!!

https://n.news.naver.com/article/016/0002336534

Unprecedented outbreak has caused an emergency at home and at school. Recently, there has been a rapid increase in whooping cough cases. Even people hesitating to travel before the summer vacation season are emerging.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, as of July 6th, the number of whooping cough cases in the country is 6,986, approaching 7,000. The outbreak of whooping cough this year is unprecedented. Over the past ten years (2014-2023), there have been a total of 2,683 cases. The number of cases this year alone is more than twice the total number of cases in the past decade.

Looking at the patient age groups, children and adolescents are overwhelmingly the majority. 91.9% of the patients were between 7 and 19 years old, and those under 6 accounted for 1.8%. Most of the patients are children and adolescents who live in groups at daycare centers, schools, and similar settings.

Whooping cough is a respiratory infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. The main symptom is paroxysmal severe coughing. It is often transmitted through droplets (spit particles) released during coughing. It is not fatal for healthy adults, but it is known to pose a life-threatening risk to infants and young children with weakened immune systems.

Whooping cough can be prevented with the Tdap vaccine, which is included in the national immunization schedule. After three primary doses at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, booster shots are given at 15-18 months and at 4-6 years of age.

However, it is known that vaccine immunity does not last for more than 10 years. In other words, additional vaccinations are needed around the ages of 11 to 12, but vaccination rates tend to decline from that point onward. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's data on pertussis vaccination rates, the vaccination rate for children aged 1 to 6 was between 94% and 97%, but by the time they entered middle school, the rate dropped to 82%, a decrease of over 10%. The lower vaccination rate during adolescence, when group activities are common, is believed to have led to reduced immunity.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency recommends that adults who have no previous vaccination history receive two doses at a 4-week interval, and also urges the public to practice handwashing, frequent ventilation, and wearing masks if experiencing cough symptoms.

I think there are quite a few people who think it's just cold symptoms...

I only knew whooping cough as a shot given when the child is young... but that's not the case.

I guess I need to prepare once more when I move up to middle school...

It would probably be better for adults to get vaccinated if they haven't done so before...