المملكة: Whooping cough and measles rise despite immunizations remaining above 96%

Official statistics for the year 2024 revealed a prominent health paradox, represented by a noticeable increase in the rates of infection with some diseases targeted for vaccination, most notably Whooping cough, in conjunction with maintaining very high levels of national immunization coverage exceeding 96% for infants.

Data issued in the statistical yearbook for the year 2024 showed that the incidence of whooping cough (pertussis) witnessed a significant jump, recording 3.09 infections per hundred thousand of the population.

Rise in infections

This number represents a significant increase compared to the rates recorded in recent years. The previous rate, which reached 0.30 in 2020, decreased to 0.05 in 2022, before beginning to rise again in 2023.

This increase comes despite the fact that the coverage rate of the hexavalent vaccine, which includes immunization against whooping cough, reached 96.7% in 2024 among infants, a percentage that falls within the high global rates that aim to ensure community immunity.

Whooping cough was not the only challenge, as data showed that Measlesis still recording rates higher than historical levels.

Although the measles infection rate has decreased to 3.57 per 100,000 people in 2024, after having reached an alarming peak of 6.69 in 2023, this rate is still significantly high when compared to 2022, which recorded only 0.77, and this came in conjunction with immunization coverage for the triple viral vaccine. “MMR” reached 96.4%.

Hepatitis B infection rates also recorded a noticeable increase during the last five years, reaching 23.58 infections per 100,000 population in 2024, compared to 11.16 in 2022 and 13.67 in 2020.

Complete control of diseases

On the other hand, the statistics show great success. As health programs continue to fully control other highly dangerous diseases, the Kingdom has maintained its record completely free of cases Polio, with a “zero” infection rate for the fifth year in a row, supported by 96.4% coverage of the oral polio vaccine.

The figures also show almost complete control over diseases such as diphtheria and neonatal tetanus, which recorded infection rates close to zero (0.03 and 0.008 per thousand live births, respectively), which reflects the direct and sustainable effectiveness of basic immunization programmes.

With regard to tuberculosis, the data showed Stable, with a slight tendency toward a decline in overall “pulmonary and non-pulmonary” infection rates, reaching 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2024, compared to 8.0 in 2022 and 7.75 in 2020.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter