Buenos Aires, Jan 2 (NA) -- The Ministry of Health of the Nation launched the technical guide 'Pertussis: Surveillance, Prevention and Control', a strategic document aimed at unifying the health response to the increase in pertussis cases, the respiratory disease recorded during 2025. This measure arises in a critical context, marked by uneven vaccination coverage between provinces and the need to protect infants, the group with the highest risk of mortality. The new regulation places special emphasis on the First Level of Care to guarantee early detection and the immediate start of antibiotic treatment in case of clinical suspicion, reported the Argentine News Agency. Among the key points of the guide, the mandatory vaccination of pregnant women from week 20 of gestation is reinforced —essential for transferring antibodies to the newborn— and guidelines are established for recovering delayed vaccination schedules, since in 2023 the lowest coverage levels in the last 12 years were registered. Pertussis (or whooping cough) is a highly contagious pathology. Therefore, the guide updates the definitions of 'suspect case' and orders epidemiological surveillance throughout the national territory to prevent the accumulation of susceptible individuals. Health authorities urge the population to check their vaccination records at health centers and remind that immunization is the safest and most effective tool to reverse the upward trend of the disease detected in the last year.
