Honduras pertussis death toll reaches 11 amid vaccination shortfall

Honduran health authorities confirmed that the country has recorded 11 deaths from pertussis, with the most recent victim being a child from Tegucigalpa. Officials are also investigating another possible fatality. The cases are being examined at the Mario Catarino Rivas Hospital in San Pedro Sula. The health ministry attributes the rise in infections and deaths, especially among infants, to vaccination coverage falling below the 95 percent target and to misinformation discouraging parents from seeking immunisation. The ministry urged parents to complete the vaccine schedule for children and advised pregnant women to receive a pertussis shot from the 26th week of gestation to protect newborns.

Pertussis, a highly contagious bacterial respiratory disease, is preventable through vaccination, but severe outcomes continue to affect unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children.