Increase of pertussis cases in the EU/EEA : 8 May 2024

Pertussis is an endemic disease in the EU/EEA and worldwide. Every three to five years, larger epidemics are expected even with high vaccination coverge. After a few years of limited circulation in the EU/EEA, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 25 000 cases of pertussis were reported in 2023, and more than 32 000 between January and March 2024. Similar numbers were observed in 2016 (41 026) and 2019 (34 468). The risk from pertussis was assessed for four different population groups as a product of the probability of infection and its impact.