Portugal recorded 200 cases of whooping cough in the first four months of this year, compared to 22 in the whole of the previous year, the general health directorate (DGS) said today. The increase in cases has also been seen across Europe. According to a report by the European health agency (released today), “whooping cough continues to be a public health problem, given that the disease is “endemic in the EU/EEA and worldwide and causes significant epidemics every three to five years, even in countries with high vaccination coverage“, as is the case in Portugal. Most at risk from this bacterial infection are the very young, the elderly and immuno-compromised.
