Baby third person to die in Czechia from whooping cough in 2024

A several-week-old baby in Hradec Králové died from whooping cough on Wednesday, the third fatality from the disease in Czechia this year. The baby suffered from other infections as well and was transferred to Hradec Králové from another hospital in a critical condition.

Health officials have recorded over 700 new cases of whooping cough this week, which brings the total number of registered cases to more than 6,000.

Since the beginning of this year, doctors have administered more than 81,000 vaccines against the respiratory disease, 39,000 more than last year. According to Health Minister Vlastimil Válek, more than 100,000 vaccines will arrive in the country by the end of April.