A cyclical epidemic, the circulation of whooping cough is intensifying in France and Occitanie where nearly twenty clusters of “grouped” cases have been recorded. The disease affects young children as much as adults who must also have their vaccine booster.
“They are both vaccinated against whooping cough,” declares Delphine, mother of Louise and Maxime, while picking up her children from a school in Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne. I took the vaccinations, but otherwise, no, I was not aware that it was recommended to do so. I admit that for adults, I was even less aware.”
And yet, the circulation of this disease against which children can be vaccinated from 2 months is intensifying in France and particularly in Occitanie, which is one of the 7 regions where around twenty community clusters were declared at the end of March.
Next to 6,000 cases of this respiratory infection were recorded over the first five months of the year at the national level, compared to 495 over the whole of 2023, 67 in 2022 and 34 in 2021, the Pasteur Institute indicated on Tuesday June 4, according to our colleagues at AFP.
In this Montalban laboratory, the national resurgence of whooping cough cases is clearly visible.
Compared to last year, we had no request (Editor’s note: PCR test) for whooping cough. In May, we had 150 requests, since the beginning of June 270 and we have around a 25% positive rate. It is a cyclical epidemic that occurs every 3 to 5 years, the last one dated from 2017 and 2019, so here we are entering the new cycle.
Mylène Laborde, biologist, in Montauban
And this new cycle could last for 2 years.Friday June 7, 2024, Public Health France insisted on prevention, vaccination and masks, “essential to avoid serious cases and deaths in infants”, underlines the AFP again. Health professionals are alerted and called back adults to follow their vaccination schedule.
Advice shared by Sébastien Lizon, infected with whooping cough several weeks ago, and still carrying symptoms. “I contracted whooping cough at the beginning of April, it was a bit rough with very strong coughs which made it difficult to sleep, it mainly comes down to this: a lot of fatigue.”
Like Sébastien in Tarn, cluster cases of whooping cough have been reported throughout the region. When there are clustered cases, “the majority of clusters are intrafamilial or occur in communities (nursery, primary, middle and high schools) with a majority of cases not up to date with their vaccination”specifies Public Health France.
The vaccine is, in fact, obligatory for infants. It is advisable to make a reminder to 25, 45 and 65 years old.
