In recent months, several countries in Europe, including Greece, have recorded an increase in the number of whooping cough (pertussis) cases compared with previous years (Denmark, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Montenegro, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Serbia).
The increase in reported cases of whooping cough is probably linked to delayed immunisation of certain age groups, as well as the lower circulation of the pathogen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Public Health Organisation reported.
According to the data available from the ECDC, the most affected age groups are children, young adolescents and infants who have not been vaccinated or have not completed their vaccination.
In Greece, from the beginning of the year 2024 until 30/05/2024, 230 cases of whooping cough have been reported to NPHO, while in the year 2023, 9 cases were reported. It is worth noting that of the 230, 133 (57.8%) concern children and adolescents <18 years and 58 (25.2%) concern infants <12 months. Finally, 34 (14.8%) concern infants aged <2 months, two of which died, while at least three required hospitalisation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU).