Cases of whooping cough (pertussis) continue to be on the rise in Europe, with multiple countries reporting deaths among infants. Some experts say fake news on social media are responsible for low vaccination rates, especially in Austria – the country with Europe’s lowest vaccination rate at 84 percent.
“My child has not been vaccinated against whooping cough,” Viennese mother Nicole told CGTN. The illness was not even on her radar, she added.
Vienna’s Medical Association described the recent pertussis surge as “frightening” and is now calling for free booster shots to close the vaccination gap.
“About three weeks ago we had an elderly lady with pertussis,” said medical historian Daniela Angetter from Austria’s Academy of Sciences. “She told me that she has been infected by a child because she was working in a kindergarten.”
Angetter says fake news about vaccinations spread by Austria’s Freedom Party and other influential groups is …