Whooping cough, accompanied by severe coughing, is on the rise. Whooping cough is a respiratory disease that means coughing for 100 days and is classified as a grade 2 infectious disease. When infected with whooping cough, intense paroxysmal coughing persists for more than four weeks. Complications such as pneumonia can develop, and severe cases can lead to death.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 15th, 3,686 cases of whooping cough have been reported in South Korea this year. This is a 770% increase compared to 423 cases during the same period last year (January to April). The agency explained that the number of whooping cough patients has decreased compared to the peak of 10,564 cases in July of last year. However, this year's cases alone surpass the total of 2,683 cases reported over the past decade (2014-2023), indicating that caution is still necessary.
This year, children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 account for 70% of whooping cough patients, but there have also been cases among those aged 0 to 4 (133 cases). The regions with the highest numbers are Gyeonggi Province (934), Seoul (358), Busan (268), South Gyeongsang Province (250), and Daegu (234).
A representative from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency noted, "Whooping cough can spread among young children with low immunity who gather in classrooms for the new school year," adding, "The metropolitan area has a dense population, leading to rapid transmission, while Busan and South Gyeongsang Province have been areas where whooping cough has been prevalent.
Whooping cough typically recurs every five years or so. The number of whooping cough patients increased from 36 in 2013 to 980 in 2018. Last year, it spiked to 47,982 cases. The first whooping cough-related death in the country was reported last November. At that time, an infant under 2 months old, who had not received vaccinations, sought medical help due to coughing symptoms and was diagnosed with whooping cough.
Whooping cough primarily spreads through coughing and sneezing. It can also be transmitted via objects contaminated with saliva and nasal mucus. An infected person can transmit whooping cough to as many as 17 others. While whooping cough can infect individuals of all ages, it particularly affects young children with low immunity. Professor Kim Shin-woo of Kyungpook National University Hospital's Infectious Disease Department stated, "Adult family members can transmit whooping cough to young children, or young children may become infected while living in groups."
Whooping cough can be prevented through vaccination. Typically, basic vaccinations are administered at 2, 4, and 6 months, with additional vaccinations at 15-18 months, 4-6 years, and 11-12 years. After that, vaccinations are given every 10 years. A representative from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency highlighted, "Basic vaccination is key," and noted, "Vaccinating during pregnancy helps pass antibodies to the fetus through the placenta, so it's advisable for pregnant individuals to get vaccinated."
Experts advise that adults should also prepare for whooping cough. Professor Kim Shin-woo said, "Even with vaccination, the immunity period for whooping cough is relatively short," explaining that while tetanus provides protection for over 10 years, whooping cough is effective for only 2-4 years, necessitating consistent vaccinations even into adulthood.
Whooping cough is also on the rise in Japan. Recently, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that in the first three months of this year, the number of whooping cough cases reached 4,771, surpassing last year's total of 4,054. The newspaper stated, "There are concerns that drug resistance may develop against medications used to treat whooping cough."