For two weeks now, in pediatric consultations, such as that of Juan Ríos, it has been proven that Albacete, as occurred in Guadalajara, is facing an outbreak of whooping cough in a population of schoolchildren that is vaccinated. In principle, the key is to protect the population at risk, such as newborns, pregnant women and the elderly, but it is an infectious pathology with treatment and a vaccine.
“It is a paroxysmal cough, a dry cough, da-da-da, that does not stop and leads the child to make a kind of cock to catch air”
“It is a paroxysmal cough, a dry cough, da-da-da, that does not stop and leads the child to make a kind of cock to catch air, even that cough can lead to vomiting.” This is how pediatrician Juan Ríos describes the most characteristic symptom of whooping cough, a disease for which the majority of the population and practically all children are vaccinated, so it should only be of concern in the case of babies.
Children are vaccinated at two, six and eleven months, as well as a booster dose at six years of age against whooping cough. In addition, pregnant women are also recommended the whooping cough vaccine in the last trimester. In this context, if it is a healthy and vaccinated child, it should not be complicated.
Thus, Dr Juan Ríos has explained to Health Diary that those who must protect themselves are health and educational personnel, since adults received the vaccine so many years ago that they are not as protected as minors.
It is an infectious disease that resolves with antibiotics.
What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough is the consequence of an infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis that affects the respiratory system (lungs and airways). In adolescents and adults it is usually milder, with those under four months of age being the most vulnerable group.
What symptoms does it produce?
Pertussis symptoms usually appear 7 to 10 days after a person has been exposed to the infection, but sometimes it can take up to 6 weeks before they appear.
At first, the illness manifests itself as a common cold, with nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and perhaps a cough or fever. As the disease progresses, the traditional symptoms of whooping cough appear, which are:
A severe cough usually lasts about two weeks and then decreases in frequency and severity. It may take months for the patient to fully recover.
Fuente: Spanish Society of Pediatrics.
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2024-02-27 05:02:23
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