Faced with a worrying increase in cases of whooping cough, Public Health France is sounding the alarm.
Whooping cough seems to have settled in Europe. As relayed Public health France, significant epidemics have been recorded in Croatia, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Among our Belgian, Spanish and German neighbors, significant increases have been noted. And France is not spared. Since the start of 2024, France has indeed experienced an upsurge in this particularly contagious respiratory infection, the national public health agency indicates in its press release.
Around twenty grouped cases, also called “clusters”, have been recorded to date in no less than 8 of the 13 French regions. Only two clusters were recorded last year, and in only one region, Île-de-France. Vigilance is required, believes Public Health France, which recalls “the importance of vaccination to protect people at risk of serious forms”. The health agency, however, tempers its alarming tone by emphasizing that, for the moment, the French situation is in no way comparable to that of our European neighbors. They are already reporting “several hundred cases per week since the last quarter of 2023”.
Public Health France also emphasizes that whooping cough is known to progress in cycles of recrudescence “every 3 to 5 years”. The last epidemic peaks recorded date back to 1997, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2012-2013 and 2017-2018. The health context linked to the Covid epidemic seems to have prevented the expected rebound in 2021-2022. To date, vaccination is the only means of protection. It is strongly recommended for people at risk, namely those suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, but also the immunocompromised, pregnant women and health and early childhood professionals.