Alex Trelinski
A one-month-old baby has died in the midst of a whooping cough epidemic that has hit Spain since last summer.
Over 7,800 cases have been diagnosed according to the National Epidemiology Centre(CNE) with the youngster dying in the second half of last year.
The CNE said the baby’s mother had not been vaccinated during her pregnancy but did not say in which region the death happened.
According to the Ministry of Health, no deaths from whooping cough have been reported in the first three months of 2024.
A recent serious case required an unvaccinated infant to be admitted to hospital in Malaga.
In 2023, 2,560 cases of whooping cough had been diagnosed, with 111 hospitalisations.
Since the start of this year, a further 5,242 people have contracted the disease, according to the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, with forecasts predicting more cases.
The CNE says the current outbreak needs public health measures to protect the youngest babies.
“In situations of high circulation of whooping cough, such as the one we are experiencing, the top health priority is to stop hospitalisations and deaths in children aged under one year of age,” it stated.
“It is key that vaccinations should be monitored in pregnant women and children in the first year of life and that children are vaccinated, whenever possible.”
Fernando Moraga-Llop, spokesman for the Spanish Association of Vaccinology., said: “The vaccine is key to protecting infants and though it doesn’t stop infections, it does prevent many serious cases that could result in death.”
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