– We constantly receive reports of people who are infected and we know that it happens throughout the county and nationally, says assistant municipal chief medical officer Marit Teigen Hauge in Molde. There, the municipality has been vaccinating employees who work with small children for several weeks. The background is that, according to the Institute of Public Health (FHI), 3,145 cases of whooping cough have been reported in Norway so far this year. The number of cases is constantly increasing and FHI classifies it as an outbreak. Marit Teigen Hauge is assistant municipal doctor in Molde. She sees that several of the neighboring municipalities have also started to put in place a similar offer of whooping cough vaccine for employees. Photo: Roar Jonny Strøm / news Dangerous for the little ones The disease is particularly serious for infants. Because FHI receives many questions, they have sent out a letter to all municipalities before the summer. There they remind, among other things, that the recommendation for everyone who works with young children is that they are vaccinated against whooping cough. In Molde municipality, they have taken the advice seriously and are now offering the vaccine for free. – We want to avoid infecting the very youngest, those from 0-1 years. We also want those who work with us not to fall ill. Adults also get sick from this and can cough for up to 100 days, says assistant municipal doctor Marit Teigen Hauge. – It is important that those who work with young children take the vaccine Doctor at the Department of Airborne, Blood and Sexual Infections at FHI, Fredrik Skår, says that they are happy that the information has reached the municipalities and that Molde has initiated measures to protect the youngest and most vulnerable children. – It is important that healthcare personnel and those who work with the youngest children take the vaccine, says Skår. Molde now administers whooping cough vaccine to employees who work with small children. Photo: Roar Jonny Strøm / news He says that they have informed the municipalities that there is an increase in whooping cough in Norway. The number of infected people is the highest in 12 years, but Skår emphasizes that FHI does not know whether the increase they are seeing is due to more people actually being infected by whooping cough, or whether it is because more people are now getting tested. – The best way people can protect themselves is to take a refresher dose, he says. Facts about whooping cough Considered a highly contagious disease, which spreads via droplets in connection with coughing fits. Passed disease provides many years of immunity, but not lifelong immunity. The incubation period is usually 7-10 days. The course of the disease is divided into two stages: the catarrhal stage with cold-like symptoms such as cough, fever and runny nose that lasts approx. 1 week. This is followed by the paroxysmal stage (seizure stage), which is characterized by strong coughs with forced inspiration (wheezing), possibly with vomiting or vomiting. Whooping cough can be dangerous for young children, especially infants because they can stop breathing during the coughing fits. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2014 that there were 24.1 million cases of whooping cough globally and 160,700 deaths in children under 5, mainly in low-income countries. The WHO calculates that 86% of the world’s children as of 2018 have been vaccinated with three doses of the DTP vaccine during the first year of life. Vaccination coverage has, however, been lower during the covid-19 pandemic, with 81% in 2021 and 84% in 2022. Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health – A third of the youngest end up in hospital Whooping cough starts like a common cold, but after approx. one week you can get severe coughs. The assistant municipal superintendent in Molde wants everyone who has symptoms to see a doctor early to get tested. – We have a very narrow window when the antibiotic works. It’s three weeks. If you are early and get tested, when it starts to drag on with a strong cough, we will have time to have the effect of antibiotics when you have the test result, she says. Marit Teigen Hauge hopes everyone over the age of 18 will top up their whooping cough vaccine. Photo: Roar Jonny Strøm / news Teigen Hauge says that in the worst case the disease can lead to hospitalization or death. – In England, unfortunately, they have had cases of death. Fortunately, we have not had that in Norway, but approx. a third of the youngest people who get infected end up in hospital, she says. Highly contagious Whooping cough is highly contagious and spreads through droplet transmission in connection with coughing fits. One of the places where whooping cough is easily contagious is in the nursery. Mona Hatlen at Mobarn Cecilienfryd kindergarten in Molde has experienced this. There they have already had whooping cough and therefore she has now been vaccinated. Mona Hatlen has now taken a refresher dose of the whooping cough vaccine and says it is a good contribution to keeping infection rates down. Photo: Roar Jonny Strøm / news – We have had a number of illnesses at work, and then we see that it is useful to vaccinate ourselves so that we do not infect other children and parents who are pregnant, among other things, she says. In the letter FHI has sent to the municipalities, they also remind that pregnant women have the right to a free vaccination offer as part of the child vaccination programme. Siw Elisabeth Dahl says that she also refills the pertussis vaccine for herself. Photo: Roar Jonny Strøm / news Nurse at the emergency room in Molde, Siw Elisabeth Dahl, also takes the vaccine in Molde today. She meets many young children through her work. – It was time to top up so that I don’t infect my patients in the emergency room, she says. Published 12.07.2024, at 13.12
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Vaccinates employees who work with small children against whooping cough – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
