The Ministry of Health warns about the increase in whooping cough in Israel

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes a cough that can make breathing difficult. 

It is a serious disease that can affect people of any age but is especially dangerous for babies under 18 months, who require constant supervision, since breathing can temporarily stop during coughing attacks. 

Recently, Israeli health authorities issued a alert for the increase in cases of whooping cough. This is an outbreak that repeats itself every four years. 

The Ministry of Health reported that during the first half of 2024, more than 2.480 cases were recorded, a figure considerably higher than the cases of the entire year 2023, in which 1.795 cases of whooping cough were recorded. 

The outbreak, initially concentrated in Jerusalem last year, has spread this year to central Israel and Haifa. The situation raised alarm bells in June, with the death of a five-week-old baby due to this disease.

In this context, the Ministry of Health is once again urging pregnant women to be vaccinated against pertussis during the third trimester to protect their newborn children, who do not receive pertussis vaccines until they are two months of age. The coverage of vaccination in Israel it has decreased slightly in recent years, reaching approximately 92% among children.