In Flanders, 1,885 cases of whooping cough have been registered this year up to and including August 7. Image Shutterstock / Aleksandr Finch
The number of cases of whooping cough in Flanders has now almost doubled compared to the annual average. There are also 49 children under the age of one admitted to hospital with the disease. In addition, the number of measles infections has tripled. This is evident from new figures from the Department of Care on Tuesday.
In Flanders, 1,885 cases of whooping cough have been registered this year up to and including 7 August. That is almost double the annual average between 2017 and 2019. Antwerp and Flemish Brabant have exceeded the 500-plus infection mark. “The peak in infections was in May, but the number of infections also remains high in June and July,” says Joris Moonens, spokesperson for the Department of Care.
Whooping cough can be fatal for infants. The disease is caused by bacteria, starts with a cold and can develop into severe coughing fits. Sometimes babies even stop breathing briefly, causing them to turn blue. The number of infections in children under one year old fluctuates around 20 per month. This year, 49 babies under one year old have already been admitted to hospital.
“Fortunately, there is good protection: vaccinating the mother during her pregnancy,” says Moonens. “That way, the baby already gets antibodies and is protected in its first weeks of life. After 8 weeks, the baby can be vaccinated itself.”
“These figures worry me,” says virologist Marc Van Ranst (KU Leuven). “But this is not an isolated phenomenon, the disease is on the rise throughout Europe. This is partly due to vaccination fatigue.” According to Moonens, the situation in Flanders is currently not comparable to that in the Netherlands, for example. There are now almost 15,000 reported infections there, and five babies have also died.
Measles
The number of measles infections is also rising dramatically. In the whole of 2023, there were 35 cases in Flanders. This year, up to and including 7 August, there have already been 111 cases. Flemish Brabant (49) has the most infections, followed by East Flanders (31). “We see most infections in the age group of 4 to 9 years and in adults from 25 to 44 years,” says Moonens. The majority of infected people are not vaccinated. There are no clusters: most cases occur within the family.
However, adults who want a catch-up vaccine are currently unable to do so. There is a temporary restriction. “There is a great demand worldwide, we want to have sufficient doses for the basic vaccination of young children,” says Moonens. The Department of Health hopes to have more news soon about when the restriction will be lifted. “Nevertheless, anyone born between 1970 and 1985 should check whether he or she has been vaccinated correctly,” says Van Ranst. “The vaccine was only included in the vaccination schedule in 1985. The older generation has had the disease themselves.”
The Department of Health warns that measles is not a childhood disease: 29 people were admitted to hospital, of which just over half were adults. Measles is highly contagious. Symptoms range from the typical red spots that start behind the ears and spread over the entire body, to high fever, coughing and a runny nose. Measles can lead to complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis.
“The problem is that almost nobody remembers how serious the disease can be. Young parents are vaccinated, grandparents too old to remember. But for both measles and whooping cough we have vaccines to arm ourselves against these diseases,” concludes Van Ranst.