Whooping cough in the Czech Republic: There are over five thousand cases, the last time there were more in 1960

There were 1,044 new cases per week, less than the previous week. “The slight decrease in the number of newly infected compared to previous weeks was probably due to the two days off in the 13th calendar week, when there were no school classes,” SZÚ spokeswoman Štěpánka Čechová 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.

Whooping cough continues to spread in the Czech Republic. The diary summarizes everything important:

Whooping cough in the Czech Republic: How to recognize it, what about parents and schools, how about vaccinations

Doctors have registered two deaths of senior citizens this year infected with whooping cough, no more were added 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.

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.

Interest in vaccination has increased

According to the data that ČTK communicated last week Ministry of Health, this year 21,000 people were revaccinated by March 14, 12,000 of them in the first two weeks of March, last year 24,000 people were vaccinated for the whole year. Doctors ordered over 30,000 vaccines in two weeks from the company Avenier, which distributes the combined vaccine against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

How is it with the participation of unvaccinated children in classes?

Hygiene about whooping cough: Unvaccinated children can go to school, they cannot require a vaccine

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 childhood vaccines they are covered by public health insurance, adults have to pay it at the doctor’s office, and they can request reimbursement of part of the price from their health insurance company.

Number of cases of whooping cough in 2024 by week:

^{source: SZÚ}