The Ministry of Health (MINSA) confirmed a case of whooping cough in an 18-month-old girl, residing in the Herrera district of La Chorrera. The patient remains hospitalized at the Nicolás Solano Hospital, to which she was readmitted last week, reported Dr. Lorena Merlo, head of the regional epidemiology department. For the time being, no member of the minor's family has shown symptoms of the disease, which is characterized by episodes of intense coughing followed by a sharp wheeze. The girl's vaccination history indicates she had received three doses of the hexavalent vaccine and was due for a booster that should have been given in November. The regional director of Epidemiology highlighted that no cases of whooping cough had been reported in the province of Panamá Oeste since 2019. She also added that a team from the Ministry of Health is in the community verifying vaccination cards. Epidemiological field investigations have not yet determined the source of contagion, specified Dr. Lorena Merlo.
