Epidemiological features of pertussis infection in a large municipality of the Moscow region

Whooping cough infection is still of particular interest, due to the fact that the high incidence rate will remain, despite the 95 % or higher level of vaccination coverage at prescribed ages. The infection is particularly dangerous for children in the first year of life, because it is among them that high morbidity rates are noted and deaths are recorded. The aim is to conduct a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of the incidence of whooping cough, to identify the main features of whooping cough infection in a large area of the Moscow region for suggestions on adjusting anti-epidemic and preventive measures. The official forms of statistical accounting and reporting for 2015–2023 were used: forms No. 2 «Information on infectious and parasitic diseases (annual)», state reports on the state of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population of the Moscow region for 2015–2023, forms No. 6 «Information on the contingents of children and adults vaccinated against infectious diseases» for 2019–2023., forms No. 5 «Information on preventive vaccinations», forms 063/u «Preventive vaccination card». The work used traditional statistical methods used in epidemiological analysis. The dynamics of the incidence of whooping cough in the study area has a moderate upward trend, characterized by periodic ups and downs of varying intensity, lasting 3 years. Seasonal increases in morbidity have been identified, coinciding with the formation of organized groups, and off-season ones, depending on the identification and examination of patients, the timeliness of diagnosis, the impact of uncontrolled migration processes occurring in the district, etc. With a high level of coverage of preventive vaccinations at the prescribed ages of 95 % and above, a high incidence of whooping cough is registered in different age groups. At the same time, the highest incidence was recorded in children aged 8 years — 75.2 per 100 thousand children of this age group. Thus, the epidemiological situation for whooping cough in the study area remains tense. To reduce the incidence of whooping cough, it is necessary to ensure vaccination coverage rates at the prescribed ages of 95 % or more, observing the timing of vaccinations by age and substantiating the issue of introducing multiple revaccinations to amend existing documents.