On July 29, the Thua Thien Hue Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that in the past two weeks, the province has recorded 5 suspected cases of whooping cough, with 2 cases testing positive, 2 cases testing negative, and 1 case awaiting results.
Among these 5 cases, the 2 confirmed positive cases are a 3-month-old baby in Huong Thuy town, who had received the hepatitis B and BCG (tuberculosis vaccine) at birth, and a 1-month-old baby in Hue city, who had also received the hepatitis B and BCG vaccines at birth.
According to the Thua Thien Hue CDC, since the beginning of the year, the province has recorded a total of 10 suspected whooping cough cases, with 4 cases testing positive. Most of the cases are infants under 3 months old who have not been vaccinated or have not been vaccinated long enough to develop immunity.
After recording the suspected cases, the Thua Thien Hue CDC coordinated with local authorities to investigate, collect samples, and send them to the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang for confirmation testing.
At the same time, they have been raising public awareness, guiding family members of the patients to monitor their health for 21 days, and advising them to report any suspected symptoms to the local health station for guidance.
Currently, the suspected whooping cough cases are being treated at the Hue Central Hospital. Thus, after more than 10 years of absence, whooping cough has returned to Thua Thien Hue, with a total of 10 suspected cases.
According to the Thua Thien Hue Department of Health, whooping cough is an acute respiratory infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. The disease usually occurs in children under 5 years old, progresses severely, and can be fatal due to secondary infections, causing complications like bronchitis and pneumonia, especially in children who have not been vaccinated or have not been fully vaccinated against whooping cough, and malnourished children.
Doctors recommend that to prevent whooping cough, children should be fully vaccinated according to the schedule recommended by the expanded immunization program.
Family members should frequently wash their hands with soap, cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, maintain personal hygiene, and clean the child's nose and throat daily. Keep living spaces and classrooms well-ventilated, clean, and well-lit. If there are signs of illness or suspected whooping cough, the child should be isolated and taken to a healthcare facility.
