China's health authority issued a guidance on preventing pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough or 100-day cough, on Tuesday, while the disease has reportedly been surging in many countries and regions across the world.
Pertussis is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. It is highly infectious, mainly spread through respiratory droplets, while recovery tends to take a long while. It is one of the most common childhood diseases and also one of the major causes of infant and young child mortality worldwide, according to a post released by the Chinese National Disease Control and Prevention Administration on its social media account.
Vaccination is the most economical and effective way to prevent pertussis, and is important in reducing the severity and mortality after pertussis infection, the post noted, citing Zheng Hui, an expert from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China's CDC).
Zheng urged Chinese parents to get their children vaccinated against pertussis as soon as possible. "The protective antibodies obtained through natural recovery or vaccine immunity against pertussis cannot last a lifetime. With time, the protective effect of antibodies will decrease, so pertussis can occur in people of all ages, with infants and young children at higher risk. The younger the child, the higher the risk of complications and severe illness," he explained.
