As the incidence of whooping cough has recently increased among the elderly in their 60s or older in Korea, there is a growing concern about the spread of secondary infections for infants and toddlers in homes that are responsible for twilight parenting. Accordingly, it was suggested that Tdap vaccination to prevent whooping cough should be preempted before vaccination against the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) in the elderly begins in earnest.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of whooping cough patients in the country’s 60s or older has increased year by year since 2018, and in 2020, it was found that 9.6% more people over 60s (35.2%) than those under 9 years old (25.6%).
As the incidence rate of whooping cough among’grandpa (grandfather + dad)’ and’halma (grandmother + mother)’ who cares for grandchildren and granddaughters on behalf of dual-income children increases, not only their own health, but also within families with newborns and infants with weak immunity There is also a growing concern for a second outbreak.
In fact, the secondary incidence rate of whooping cough in the family reaches 80%, and cyclic outbreaks have been confirmed both at home and abroad every 2-3 years.
Accordingly, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) revised the’Adult Vaccination Guide’ in 2018 to minimize the risk of whooping cough in newborns and infants, and expanded the target of Tdap vaccination from existing pregnant women to siblings and grandparents of families with infants.
In this situation, there is an opinion that the corona19 vaccination in the elderly in Korea has begun recently, and that the whooping cough vaccination should be done first in the age of 60 or older, who has not yet begun full-scale vaccination.
In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is recommended to inoculate alone due to lack of data on the safety and efficacy of simultaneous vaccination with other vaccines.
According to the recommendation, it is necessary to maintain a minimum interval, such as 2 weeks before and after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 2 weeks before and after the second dose, in order to avoid the interfering effect between the vaccination immune response and treatment.
Professor Joh Joon Joon of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Guro Hospital said, “Tdap vaccine that can prevent tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis in silver generations born before 1958 to prevent infection of infants and grandchildren with weak immunity as well as themselves, considering the characteristics of fatal pertussis disease Vaccination is necessary.” “In the case of elderly people 65 years of age or older who were excluded from the corona vaccination this February-March, pertussis with Tdap vaccine through consultation with a specialist before the corona vaccination with special attention to prevent secondary spread in the home. It is good to prevent them,” he stressed.