There were 1,044 new cases per week, less than the previous week. “The slight decrease in the number of new infections compared to previous weeks was probably due to the two days off in the 13th calendar week, when there were no school classes,” Štěpánka Čechová, spokeswoman for the SZÚ, said in a press release.
Of the regions, the most cases are in South Bohemia (917), Central Bohemia (768) and the Vysočina region (620). The highest morbidity per population is in the South Bohemian Region, the Vysočín Region and the Pardubice Region.
Doctors have registered two deaths of seniors infected with whooping cough this year, and there were no more deaths in the previous week. Less than three percent of registered patients ended up in hospitals. All age groups are infected, one third are young people aged 15 to 19. 85 children under one year of age, who do not yet have the complete mandatory vaccination that protects against whooping cough, were also infected.
In more than 73 percent of those infected this year managed to find out that they had previously been vaccinated against whooping cough, about a fifth of people do not know this about themselves. Vaccines weaken over time, according to experts. Since 2007, children have been given a substance that has fewer side effects but produces less long-term immunity. They therefore recommend one revaccination in adulthood.
According to the data provided to ČTK last week by the Ministry of Health, this year until March 14 had 21,000 people revaccinated, 12,000 of them in the first two weeks of March, last year 24,000 people were vaccinated for the whole year. Doctors receive from Avenier, which distributes the combined vaccine against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and polio, they ordered over 30,000 vaccines in two weeks.
According to earlier information from the Ministry of Health, the company will process new orders after mid-April, as further deliveries are awaited. According to the information on the website, it is currently not possible to order vaccinations even at the approximately 20 vaccination centers of Avenier. While children’s vaccines are covered by public health insurance, adults have to pay for it at the doctor’s office and can request reimbursement of part of the price from their health insurance company.
