“They start coughing, get short of breath and can turn blue,” said Karen Moykens, from the care department. VTM. “But the fact of having difficulty breathing in particular can lead to brain damage. So we have to be careful with that, so that the young ones at risk are protected.”
“We must not forget that it is a bacterial infection, which means that we see an outbreak of this bacterial attack every five to seven years. We live close to each other, and it is a very contagious story.”
“From the moment someone coughs or sneezes, these droplets spread into the air. A nearby person who catches the droplets automatically becomes infected.”
Vaccine for pregnant women
The first pertussis vaccine is given to babies at eight weeks of age. However, it is also recommended that the pregnant mother be vaccinated against whooping cough during pregnancy.
“You should know that after vaccination, the newborn will only build his own immunity based on this vaccine after four to six months,” says Moykens.
“This means that children are more susceptible to this disease. But thanks to vaccinating pregnant mothers, we can provide that immunity partially from birth.”
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