Faced with the whooping cough epidemic raging in France, Public Health France is giving its recommendations to limit contamination and prevent infection.
- Whooping cough, which only affected a few regions in the first quarter of 2024, is now raging throughout the country.
- Faced with this, Public Health France gives its recommendations: vaccination and wearing a mask.
- Since 2018, vaccination has been mandatory for all infants as soon as they are old enough to be vaccinated, i.e. from two months.
6,962 positive PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction – to detect whooping cough) tests were recorded in the first five months of 2024, compared to 518 for the whole of 2023, according to data from the 3-Labos Network (which brings together the specialized medical biology laboratories Cerba and Eurofins-Biomnis), relayed by Public Health France in a press release published this Friday, June 7.
Whooping cough resurgence: the entire territory is affected
These figures show a much stronger resurgence of the disease in France in recent weeks.While in the first quarter of 2024, a few regions reported clustered cases, the entire territory is now affected with significant increases across all surveillance networks.“, we can read on the health authority’s website.
Whooping cough is a respiratory infection that is mainly characterized by coughing fits. This pathology can become serious in certain fragile people such as the elderly, pregnant women and infants under six months who have not yet been vaccinated against this disease.
As indicated by the‘Health Insurance, Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease. It is estimated that a sick person can contaminate 15 to 17 others on average. Thus, to protect yourself from the whooping cough epidemic, Public Health France gives its recommendations: vaccination and wearing a mask.
Vaccination and wearing masks to fight the epidemic
“As with any epidemic of respiratory infections, it is important to emphasize that among the effective barrier measures, the wearing a mask is highly recommended, explains Public Health France. It provides individual protection against infection and the risk of developing a serious form, but also collective protection, reducing the risk of spread within the population and infection of people at risk of serious forms.”
Furthermore, the health authorities remind that The best prevention against whooping cough remains vaccination. It can be carried out at any age and helps reduce severe forms, hospitalizations and deaths linked to the infection.
In addition, vaccination has been mandatory since 2018 for all infants as soon as they are old enough to be vaccinated, i.e. from the age of two months. The vaccination schedule includes three doses: at two, four, and then eleven months. Then there are the reminders : at six years old, between eleven and thirteen years old and in adulthood (generally 25 years old, with possible catch-up up to 39 years old).
Another group for whom vaccination is recommended: pregnant women, from the second trimester of pregnancy. If the dose could not be administered during pregnancy, postpartum mothers and people likely to be in close contact with the infant during the first six months of life are also affected by the instruction.
Public Health France also recommends vaccination for people at risk of severe forms of whooping cough, such as those suffering from chronic respiratory diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.) or those with immunodeficiencies. Finally, all health or early childhood professionals working in contact with people at risk are also encouraged to get vaccinated.
