Honduras reports three new pertussis deaths, totaling 22 fatalities

Honduras' Ministry of Health has confirmed three additional deaths caused by pertussis (whooping cough), bringing the total death toll to 22. The recent fatalities involved infants under one year of age, specifically in the regions of Santa Bárbara and Choloma.

Health officials, including Odalys García of the Expanded Program on Immunization (PAI), noted that the deceased children had not received the necessary vaccinations. Furthermore, in some instances, the mothers had also not been vaccinated during pregnancy, which is a critical preventative measure for protecting newborns.

To date, there have been 280 confirmed cases of the disease nationwide. While current vaccination coverage has reached 80 percent, authorities are urging citizens to complete the pentavalent vaccine schedule and prenatal immunizations to curb the spread of the highly contagious respiratory infection.