There are 94 cases of coqueluche and 68% of those affected are less than 5 years old.

The increase in cases of coqueluche mobilizes the health authorities. Santa Cruz has so far 94 confirmed cases and 64 of them are children, under five years of age, which represents 68 percent.

Official reports show that during the first week of this month of December, 26 new cases were confirmed, approaching one hundred infections. Something that worries the authorities is that most of those affected are babies and children, under five years of age. Nine of them are hospitalized; five in hospitalization rooms and four in intensive care units. It is striking that five of those affected have not completed their vaccinations for their age and two have developed the disease, despite having their doses.

All these cases have been registered in just one month, since on November 7 the Ministry of Health officially announced the outbreak of the disease, with the first cases reported in Santa Cruz.

To date, about a dozen municipalities have reported infections, but the capital of Santa Cruz concentrates 41%. The official report indicates that Santa Cruz de la Sierra has 38 positive cases, followed by Comarapa, with 16; San Javier, with 13; El Torno, with 10; Montero, with 9; La Guardia, with 5; Santa Rosa del Sara, with 1; Cotoca, with 1; and Heads with 1.

The coordinator of Urban Networks of the Departmental Health Service (Headquarters), Jorge Quiróz, pointed out that the previous week (epidemiological week 48) closed with a doubling of infections in relation to the previous seven days.

He added that, although most cases are under five years of age, the pattern of infection has varied because adults have also been infected. (See infographic).

Regarding the children who have had health complications, Quiroz reported that two babies, six and eight months old, are in intensive care at the Mario Ortiz hospital. Both have received only two doses of the pentavalent vaccine, so they have not completed their scheme in relation to their age. “These two children do not have the full vaccination schedule,” insisted the head of Urban Networks.

The other two, aged 1 and 9 months, receive care in intensive care units of the National Health Fund (CNS). The first does not have vaccines because the age allowed for the application of the first dose is a month and a half. In intermediate care at the CNS there is also another baby, six months old, with the incomplete scheme for her age.

In addition, there are two children who, despite having been vaccinated, have developed the disease, but have a favorable evolution. One of them is in the CNS and the other, in the El Torno hospital.

Ask to increase coverage

The coqueluche is a disease that is prevented with the application of vaccines, but the drop in immunization coverage as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has given rise to epidemic outbreaks of diseases that were controlled or eradicated, such as the coqueluche, warned the Minister of Health, Jeyson Auza.

In this sense, the health authority urged parents to have their children vaccinated and local authorities to promote vaccination campaigns.

Ask to increase the coverage of the pentavalent vaccine that prevents this disease. It contemplates a scheme of five doses that is applied up to four years and that also protects against six other diseases (diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, pneumonia and Hib meningitis).
In the case of the department of Santa Cruz, according to official reports, coverage with a complete scheme reaches only 54%, while 29% of the target population has an incomplete scheme.

In this sense, the Sedes promotes the campaign called Health Cup 2022whose launch is scheduled for today at the Jhon Píctor Blanco Coliseum, with the participation of personalities from our environment.

The director of the Headquarters, Erwin Viruez, called on parents to come with their children, since the other 12 vaccines of the regular scheme will also be made available, which prevent against 23 diseases.

“We urge parents to take their children to start their vaccination schemes or complete it against coqueluche. We will also vaccinate against other diseases,” said the authority.

For his part, the coordinator of Urban Networks called on parents to take their children to vaccination points, installed in health centers to start or complete the scheme. “Although we are with active surveillance, we need to be aware of vaccination to contain the disease,” Quiroz said.

He asked that, in the event of any symptoms, such as a cough equal to or greater than two weeks with a sensation of choking and sounds in the breath, the child be taken to the nearest health center to receive timely assistance to avoid complications.

about covid

Regarding Covid-19, the health authorities reported that in the last epidemiological week there was an accelerated rise in infections, reaching an average of 113 cases per day, that is, five times more than the last week of November.
Quiroz confirmed that the sixth wave was officially installed in the country and that it is starting in Santa Cruz, with accelerated infections.

The growth ratio is 5 and the positivity rate is 20%. The rise became more noticeable this Monday, when 378 new cases were registered, something that had not happened several weeks ago.
He insisted on the call to the population to receive the anticovid dose, which is available in all health centers.

The aim is to increase coverage, considering that currently 76% of the vaccinated population has one dose, 65% two doses and 21% three doses. He asked to take into account that the scheme is completed with four doses.

Regarding monkey smallpox, the Ministry of Health reported that to date there have been 259 cases of monkey smallpox, of which 246 have recovered (95 percent). There are 13 assets in two departments, 12 in Santa Cruz and one in Cochabamba.