“This resurgence is part of a national and European context in 2024 of resurgence at a high level of intensity of whooping cough,” explained Public Health France, in its Whooping Cough Surveillance Bulletin (Mayotte edition), dated September 19, 2024.
Cases confirmed by PCR
In 2024, Mayotte is experiencing an alarming rise in cases of whooping coughAs of September 18, 125 PCR-confirmed cases have been reported, a significant increase from 17 cases in 2023 and 8 in 2022. This situation comes after a cholera epidemic, indicating that whooping cough has taken hold in the department. “This resurgence is part of a national and European context in 2024 of resurgence at a high level of intensity of whooping cough”explained Public Health France, in its Whooping Cough Surveillance Bulletin (Mayotte edition), dated September 19, 2024.
The current situation in figures
Since June 2024, a notable increase in cases has been observed, with a peak in August (55 cases).whooping cough epidemic mainly affects children under one year old (55% of cases), followed by children aged 1 to 3 years old. A few cases also affect adults over 18 years old. Two deaths have been reported in unvaccinated infants, but no new deaths have been reported in September. The most affected regions are the north and east of the island, particularly in Mamoudzou, reports The Mayotte Journal. Local authorities, in collaboration with the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Mayottehave implemented vaccination and prevention measures. In addition, 118 catch-up vaccinations have been carried out, and 84 antibiotic prophylaxis have been prescribed. However, vaccination coverage for children aged 24 to 59 months is still below the herd immunity threshold (92.2% against a target of 95%).
> Also read: Health: resurgence of whooping cough in Reunion, 14 cases recorded since the start of the year
Recommendations
In a context of national and European resurgence of whooping coughthe High Authority for Health (HAS) emphasizes the importance of vaccinating pregnant women, which is the most effective way to protect infants before their own vaccination. A booster vaccination is also recommended for all people in close contact with newborns, including health and early childhood professionals. Preventive measures are mainly based on mandatory vaccination of infants and regular boosters throughout life. The cocooning strategy is also encouraged, consisting of vaccinating those around infants to protect them indirectly. Boosters are planned at 25, 45 and 65 years of age for health and early childhood professionals, integrating the whooping cough valence in order to guarantee sufficient collective immunity against this disease which remains dangerous, especially for infants.
More details in the Journal de Mayotte
