Handlers of children urged to get pertussis jab

PETALING JAYA: Expectant mothers and those who are in frequent close contact with children should be given a booster vaccine to prevent the spread of whooping cough, or pertussis, among children.

According to Malaysian Pae-diatric Association president Dr Selva Kumar Sivapunniam, despite the young ones having been vaccinated in their childhood, their immunity will wane when they reach adulthood, making them a potential “reservoir” of infection for children.

“Those who are frequently with babies and children should be given a Tdap shot, which is the adult formulation of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis-containing vaccine.

“It is recommended that Tdap be given at every pregnancy, regardless of previous receipt of Tdap, and also to adolescents and adults, like parents, siblings and grandparents, who have or will have close contact with an infant less than a year old.

“This is especially important as parents and caregivers may not be aware they have the symptoms and could pass the infection to the children they care for, in particular the younger ones,” he said when contacted.

Dr Selva Kumar said that in the United States, there is a pertussis outbreak every two to three years.“The infection can be from adults, who can be reservoirs of the infection without knowing it,” he said, adding that data is needed to investigate why this is so.

Wearing a mask, he said, is not enough when a child is experiencing a cough, adding that parents and guardians must seek treatment early.

On Friday, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa warned doctors to be more alert to coughing among children following an increase in pertussis cases in Sabah in recent days.

From January to April 27, she said Sabah has recorded a relatively high number of the contagious disease, at 76 cases with one death, compared with just seven cases in the same period last year.

She advised doctors to be more alert to children afflicted with the condition, adding that the effects are worse in babies than older children or adults.

Dr Zaliha also reminded parents to have their children vaccinated against pertussis.

Universiti Malaya professor of occupational and public health Prof Dr Victor Hoe said the large number of migrants who have not received the pertussis vaccines could be the likely reason why cases in Sabah are high.

“Vaccination against pertussis is part of the childhood immunisation programme that all Malaysian children receive.

“Due to the large number of children who are not vaccinated there, it poses a higher risk for the disease to spread in the community.

“This is the reason why healthcare professionals recommend immunisation for all, irrespective of their citizenship status,” he said in an interview.

After they have been vaccinated, children, however, are still susceptible to the disease, said Dr Hoe.

“But it will be milder as compared to those who did not receive vaccination. It is important for us to vaccinate all children to achieve herd immunity,” he added.

Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said it can be a challenge where access to healthcare services in Sabah is concerned.

“On the other hand, the high number of illegal immigrants in the state is known to avoid seeking healthcare services at government healthcare facilities due to their illegal status.

“It is possible that due to these factors, there still remains a number in these groups in the state’s population who are unvaccinated against whooping cough and even other diseases,” he said.