Skopje, 23 February 2024 (MIA) – Twenty-eight new cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have been registered in North Macedonia over the past seven days (Feb 16. - Feb. 22), which is an increase of 71.8 percent compared to the previous week. Four of the new 28 cases have been hospitalized, shows the weekly report of the Public Health Institute (PHI) published Friday.

The ages of infected patients range from one month to 47, with most infected being younger than one or in the 10-14 age range.

Most of the new infected patients live in Skopje – in nine separate municipalities, five in Tetovo, four in Kumanovo, two in Gostivar and one in Struga.

The country has recorded a total of 67 cases of whooping cough since the first registered infection in January.

Sixty-one of them were not vaccinated or incompletely vaccinated based on their age – those who were completely vaccinated went more than 11 years since they last received a dose or lack proof of vaccination, said the Institute.

Of the infected, 25 have been hospitalized, 20 of which are children younger than four.

According to the Institute, on the basis of data from public health centers throughout the country 12.639 children who have missed vaccination have been identified, 4.142 (32.8 percent) of them have now been vaccinated.

Photo: MIA Archive