Diseases such as whooping cough and polio are highly contagious, especially among children, and can be prevented through vaccination.

The State Department of Health (SES) advises parents and guardians to take advantage of their children's school holidays to take them to the Basic Health Unit (UBS) closest to their home and update their vaccination record. During the consultation, the immunization history can be accessed, making it easier to manage outdated vaccinations.

The basic vaccination schedule for children under one year of age includes vaccinations against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella, as well as polio and whooping cough, the main form of prevention of which is the vaccine.

In the state of São Paulo, 192 cases of whooping cough had already been recorded by the end of June, according to SES data. The disease is characterized by a bacterial respiratory infection that mainly affects children up to one year of age.

According to Regian Di Paola, Coordinator of Disease Control (CCD) at the SES, whooping cough is a highly contagious disease. “In all these diseases, vaccination is the best means of prevention. And in the case of whooping cough, where we have a large number of cases, vaccination is very important.

For children, the infection can be more serious. In whooping cough, the individual is affected by bouts of dry cough, fever, runny nose and malaise, and worsening of the condition can lead to respiratory failure and death.