Only a few weeks old

Newborn in Graz dies of whooping cough

Unvaccinated adults and older children are a danger to infants - for the newborn, such contact now ended fatally (symbolic image).

(Bild: stock.adobe.com - Kadmy )

An unprecedentedly sad case from Graz became known on Tuesday: An infant just a few weeks old has died as a result of a severe whooping cough infection. The news not only leaves people stunned, but also raises questions about vaccination protection.

A baby just a few weeks old died of whooping cough in a hospital in Graz, as Eva Winter, head of the health department of the city of Graz, confirmed the sad case to krone.at on Tuesday.

Unvaccinated adults and older children are a danger for infants - for the newborn, such contact ended fatally (symbolic image).

(Bild: stock.adobe.com - Kadmy )

Vaccination against whooping cough is an important protective measure that helps to contain the spread of the disease and protect particularly vulnerable people. The current tragedy underlines the importance of adequate vaccination coverage in the population to protect vulnerable groups and prevent potentially life-threatening outbreaks.

"No visiting tourism"
However, according to Winter, it would not have been possible to vaccinate the deceased infant: "Children under 12 weeks of age cannot be vaccinated against it, which is a sensitive age. That's why you shouldn't engage in visiting tourism, especially with infants, and give them their protection."

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a notifiable bacterial infection of the respiratory tract caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease often initially manifests as common cold symptoms such as cough, runny nose and fever before it can lead to more serious complications, especially in infants whose immune systems are not yet fully developed.