Whooping cough cases among children double in E Kazakhstan region
A total of 32 cases of whooping cough have been recorded in East Kazakhstan region since the beginning of the year, twice as many as during the same period last year, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to the region's department of sanitary and epidemiological control, all confirmed cases involve children under the age of 14.
"As of July 29, laboratory tests have confirmed 32 cases of whooping cough. Of these, 28 were recorded in Oskemen and four in Ulan district. Most cases were reported among children under one year of age, with 14 infections, followed by 17 cases among children aged one to five, and one case involving a child aged five to nine," said Saule Slyamgazina, deputy head of the department.
Health officials expressed particular concern that most of the infected children had not been vaccinated. Of the 32 confirmed cases, 30 involved unvaccinated children. Seventeen had not received the vaccine because their parents refused immunization, 12 had medical exemptions, and one infant was still too young to be vaccinated.
Earlier Qazinform News Agency reported on how many people are currently waiting for an organ transplant in Kazakhstan.
