[Seoul = Newsis] Intern reporter Hwang Jin-hyun = The number of whooping cough patients this year is 33 times higher than the same period last year. This is the highest number in the last 10 years. About 60% of patients were confirmed to be children under the age of 12.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced on the 26th that 365 people had whooping cough as of the 24th. This is 33.2 times more than the same period last year (11 people), the most in the last 10 years.
By age group, 216 children under the age of 12 (59.2%) were the most. Next, 92 people aged 13-19 (25.2%) followed, and 32 people aged 60 or older (8.8%) followed.

By region, there were many cases in Gyeongnam (182 people, 49.9%), Gyeonggi (56 people, 15.3%), and Busan (47 people, 12.9%), which reported group outbreaks centered on educational facilities.

"One Hundred Days" is a second-class infectious disease caused by Bordetella bacteria, which starts with a runny nose or a minor cough and progresses to a paroxysmal cough. It spreads mainly through droplets protruding into the air when coughing, and in the non-immune group, one person can infect 12 to 17 people, which is very contagious.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), whooping cough is also prevalent among children and adolescents in many parts of Europe. In the case of the Philippines, the number of whooping coughs is increasing worldwide, with 1,112 people reported as of the 30th of last month.

Recently, the vaccination rate for whooping cough was confirmed to be 96.8% (DTaP vaccine) in the 5th round of elementary school admissions and 82.5% (Tdap·Td) in the 6th round of middle school admissions.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, timely vaccination (two months after birth, four months, and six months) for infants under the age of one, who are most likely to progress to severe disease in case of whooping cough infection, is important. Those aged 4 to 12, when group life begins at daycare centers, should be vaccinated with whooping cough (five to six rounds). If the vaccination is not completed, additional vaccination must be given because there is a high risk of getting whooping cough or spreading it to friends and siblings around them in case of infection

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people wash their hands with soap for at least 30 seconds under running water, before and after meals after going out, wash their hands after taking a nap, cough or sneeze, and practice cough etiquette, such as covering their mouth and nose when coughing. Do not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

Ji Young-mi, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "This year, we will closely examine the epidemic situation and make every effort to respond to the epidemic through a situation inspection meeting centered on the epidemic area," adding, "We need to practice hand washing and coughing etiquette in our daily lives to prevent respiratory infectious diseases, including white sun."


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