A total of 56 children from 10 metropolitan schools have been registered with whooping cough for the past two months. This was reported to NOVA by the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, health authorities checked the homes of the dead babies to see if the remaining children had been vaccinated.
The symptoms of whooping cough or the so-called "whooping cough" initially resemble a common cold. The disease begins with fever, fatigue, runny nose, and weak cough. During the second week of the illness, it becomes very characteristic, with attacks of rapid consecutive coughing.
It is especially dangerous for babies who have not been vaccinated to get sick. Pneumonia, brain involvement and death can occur as a complication. Characteristic of the disease is the longer period of the cough - between 4 and 6 weeks and even more.
The death of the two one-month-old babies from the Iztok district in Kyustendil forced the health authorities to check whether the other children in the families of the deceased had been vaccinated.
„We visited the family with employees of the RZI, and other children were immunized. How many children do they have? They are numerous, but I don't know for sure!”, said the health mediator Ivaylo Kovachev.
“We have to trust the professionals, this is extremely important to be able to ensure that the children will grow up healthy. But there is no room for concern on the territory of the Kyustendil municipality," said the mayor of Kyustendil, Ognyan Atanasov.
It is not clear why the parents of one of the deceased children refused hospitalization twice. Meanwhile, three more children in the district continue to be treated for whooping cough. Two of them are in hospital, and the third is being treated at home.
„The disease can be dangerous especially for infants who have not been vaccinated, while in vaccinated persons it is atypical and can very often be missed,” said epidemiologist Dr. Christiana Bacelova.
General practitioner Dr. Miroslav Spasov pointed out: “Physicians are not policemen! We invite, but if there are no responsible parents to bring their children for immunizations, we cannot wage war on them. And here is the role of the state, which has retreated from its positions.”
Depending on whether an antibiotic is taken, people with an established illness are subject to self-isolation.
„Those who do not take antibiotic therapy self-isolate until recovery, which is no more than 30 days from the onset of symptoms. While those who take antibiotic therapy self-isolate for 20 days or 10 days from the start of the cough, said Dr. Bacelova.
The Ministry of Health informed NOVA that for the months of March and April, a total of 56 children from 10 metropolitan schools were registered with whooping cough. Medical specialists also recommend vaccination of pregnant women, so that children are protected from birth.