Córdoba has once again positioned itself among the provinces with the highest number of whooping cough consultations, according to the national Ministry of Health. The disease has doubled its confirmed cases in six weeks and shows a wider spread than in 2023. The increase is concerning due to vaccination coverage levels that remain below those required to guarantee herd immunity.
In the country, 688 cases have already been confirmed out of more than 5,100 notifications registered in the epidemiological system. Córdoba is part of the group of jurisdictions with the most reports, along with Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Mendoza, Salta, and Tierra del Fuego. The most critical data point is the death of seven children under two years old, four of whom were of vaccination age but had not received any doses.
Authorities emphasize that whooping cough is easily transmitted and causes severe symptoms in infants, with episodes of apnea and risk of death. The current surge resembles that of 2019, when there was also widespread national circulation. This year, 19 provinces have reported cases, a spread that is uncommon in the recent period.
Concerning outlook: low vaccination rates and high impact on infants
Forty percent of infections are recorded in children under one year old, an especially vulnerable age group. Santa Fe and Córdoba have reinforced communication campaigns, but have not yet achieved coverage above the recommended 95%. Maternal vaccination also shows delays, a shortcoming that leaves newborns unprotected during their first months.
The schedule provides for the administration of the acellular DTP vaccine starting at week 20 of pregnancy and then three doses in the first six months of life. The accumulated noncompliance in recent years has left gaps that now expose thousands of families. Experts from the Argentine Society of Pediatrics have warned that 2024 cases are three times higher than those of the previous year.
