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There is a growing concern about the lack of pertussis vaccines in hospitals these days.



Pertussis, a respiratory disease caused by coughing for 100 days, is a legal type 2 infectious disease. Infants, pregnant women, and adults taking care of babies should get it, but why the supply was cut off, medical reporter Cho Dong-chan reports.



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Ryu Seon-mi, who has her first baby at forty-four this year, recently received the pertussis vaccine.



[Sunmi Ryu / 36 weeks pregnant: Because of her baby's immunity, she said it was good to fit it, so I got it.]



Mr. Ryu is a lucky case.



There are only three days' worth of vaccine left at the university hospital where they were vaccinated.



[Pharmacist Im Jin-woo / Kodae Guro Hospital: (How much is the (Adult Pertussis Vaccine) in stock now?) There are 16 left now, and I used about 5 yesterday.]



Major university hospitals and many local hospitals have already sold out.



This is because the supply of the pertussis vaccine, which should be given to pregnant women, infant caregivers, and 11 and 12 years old, has stopped supplying since this month.



[Kim Dong-gu / Pediatrics specialist: It was the only import under the brand name of Adacell.

That's because the vaccine company is out of stock right now...

.]



In November of last year, GSK was withdrawn due to a breakdown in price negotiations, and Sanofi has been exclusively supplying 100,000 people every month.



However, at the end of last month, the supply was stopped due to the supplement of the experiment at the regular inspection.



The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) and Sanofi Corporation are setting the time to resume supply at the end of next month, so the shortage is likely to continue for a while.



Pertussis can infect up to 14 people per person, with an 80% risk of family transmission.



If a newborn baby under 6 months of age is caught, the risk of serious complications such as pneumonia or cerebral hemorrhage is higher than that of adults.



Before Corona, about 1,000 people were infected a year, so even adults, pregnant women and adults taking care of babies under 6 months old, and 11 to 12 years old are required to be vaccinated.



Vaccines for infants and toddlers are in good supply, and it is not recommended for non-infants to receive it.



[Jo Geum-jun/Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Guro Hospital: (Pertussis vaccine) For infants, in fact, there are no studies on whether the antibody will be made and passed on (to the fetus).]



Because whooping cough is transmitted through the respiratory tract, it is necessary to use a mask for prevention. and wash your hands well.



Monopoly supply cannot prepare for unexpected disruptions, so diversification of supply must also be pursued.



(Video coverage: Park Jin-ho, video editing: Jeong Seong-hoon, CG: Choi Jae-young)