Mother bringing her daughter for routine vaccination at Nachaleurn Health Centre in Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Pertussis (whooping cough)
Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease of the respiratory tract. It occurs mainly in infants and young children. It is easily transmitted from person to person, mainly through droplets. In 2022, there were more than 62 500 cases of pertussis globally and nearly 39 000 cases were reported in the Western Pacific Region. Pertussis can be prevented by immunization. The Western Pacific Region had 93% coverage with three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine in 2022.
Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis spreads easily from person to person mainly through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. The disease is most dangerous in infants and is a significant cause of disease and death in this age group.
The first symptoms generally appear 7-10 days after infection and include mild fever, runny nose and cough, which typically develops into a paroxysmal cough followed by a whooping noise (hence the common name of whooping cough). Pneumonia is a relatively common complication, and seizures and brain disease occur rarely.
People with pertussis are most contagious up to about 3 weeks after the cough begins, and many children who contract pertussis have coughing spells that last 4 to 8 weeks. Antibiotics are used to treat the infection.
The best way to prevent pertussis is through immunization. The three-dose primary series diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) (-containing) vaccines decrease the risk of severe pertussis in infancy. In 2022, 93% of the target population in the Western Pacific Region had received the recommended 3 doses of DTP-containing vaccine during infancy.
WHO recommends the first dose be administered as early as 6 weeks of age; with subsequent doses given 4-8 weeks apart, at age 10-14 weeks and 14-18 weeks. A booster dose is recommended, preferably during the second year of life. Based on local epidemiology, further booster doses may be warranted later in life.
Vaccination of pregnant women is effective in preventing disease in infants too young to be vaccinated. National programmes may consider vaccination of pregnant women with pertussis-containing vaccine as a strategy additional to routine primary infant pertussis vaccination in countries or settings with high or increasing infant morbidity/mortality from pertussis.
