Health authorities urging vaccination as whooping cough numbers rise

The Czech health authorities are urging pregnant women and people in contect with vulnerable family members to get vaccinated against whooping cough as the number of infected continues to rise. On Monday the State Institute of Health reported the first death from the disease in Czechia this year. The patient was reportedly aged between 55 and 64 and had other serious illnesses. Since the beginning of this year, doctors have diagnosed over 3,100 cases of the disease, with 827 registered last week alone. Although 96 percent of children under the age of one are vaccinated, nearly 60 of them contracted the disease because their immunity was not yet strong enough. The vaccine against whooping cough costs CZK 700 to CZK 1,500, and is not covered by insurance.