Whooping cough in children: epidemiological risks, modern tactics of treatment and immunization

The article considers the main features of the epidemiological process of whooping cough in children. Trouble factors were identified, in particular, the emergence of new pathogens, such as Bordetella Holmesii, Bordetella bronchiseptica and oth., the fading of post-vaccination immunity in children before entering school, the complexity of diagnosis and the severity of the infection at an early age, as well as the atypical course of the disease in older schoolchildrens. It is important to understand the epidemiology of whooping cough during the transition to an acellular vaccine, the difficulties of introducing the 2nd round of revaccination of the child population and the need to expand this practice throughout the country, to compete for the possibility of introducing an additional booster dose in adolescence, to organize vaccination of pregnant women and use the “cocoon” strategy in domestic practice. The mass transition to vaccines with an acellular component, of course, makes it possible to increase parents’ confidence in immunoprophylaxis, vaccination coverage, as well as reduce the trauma and reactogenicity of the vaccination procedure. Topical problems of diagnosis and treatment of whooping cough are highlighted from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine.