Skopje, 13 May 2024 (MIA) - Fifteen new cases of whooping cough (pertussis) were registered in North Macedonia between May 3-9, of which six were hospitalized. Most of the new cases were registered in Skopje (14), and one in Kriva Palanka.

The ages of the newly registered patients range from 1 month to 62 years, with most patients being around 4 years old, shows the latest weekly report of the Public Health Institute (PHI) published Monday.

As of May 9, a total of 553 whooping cough cases have been recorded, with an incidence of 30.1/ 100,000 inhabitants, a seven-fold increase in the number of patients compared to the previous five-year period (2019-2023), when a total of 10 cases were recorded.

PHI reminds that there are two ongoing epidemics reported on the territory of Skopje and Kumanovo.

A total of 45,715 doses of vaccine have been administered between January 18 and May 9. ssh/ik/

MIA file photo