Infectious diseases
There are noticeably more cases of whooping cough in Flanders this year. In December, an infant even died from the disease, for the first time since 2015.
The number of reports is increasing, especially in the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Antwerp, the Healthcare Department warned on Wednesday. Whooping cough can be dangerous and even fatal for children under 1 year of age. This became clear again when a baby died from the disease in December. The previous death of a child from whooping cough in Belgium dated from 2015. The child was too young for vaccination and the mother had not been offered vaccination during pregnancy.
The Department of Healthcare already counted 159 reports of whooping cough this year. In the years before the corona pandemic, on average less than a thousand whooping cough cases were reported per year, or an average of eighty in the month of January (2017-2019). It is striking that there are more cases, especially in Antwerp (46) and Flemish Brabant (57).
Crucial vaccinations
Most cases occur in children between 4 and 9 years of age. The protection provided by vaccinations as a baby then begins to diminish. “Whooping cough is not that dangerous for those children, but they can infect their younger brothers or sisters, who are very vulnerable and susceptible to complications,” it said.
The Department of Healthcare also received an increased number of reports of infections and hospital admissions in children under the age of 1 in January. Sixteen infants were diagnosed with whooping cough this year and ten of them were admitted to hospital.
According to the Department of Healthcare, vaccination is therefore crucial. It is strongly recommended for children from the age of eight weeks and during any pregnancy. According to the service, it is also best for the rest of the family to be vaccinated if it has been more than 10 years ago. Vaccination against whooping cough is part of the basic vaccination schedule in Flanders and is free for children and adults.
