Seoul, April 26 (IANS): South Korea's health authorities on Friday warned of whooping cough, or pertussis, rapidly spreading among children, urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the number of whooping cough cases in 2024 had reached 365 as of Thursday, compared to 11 tallied over the same period last year, Yonhap news agency reported.

This year's infections hit the highest level in the past decade, surpassing the previous peak of 152 cases in 2018.

The KDCA data showed that of the total infections, 216 patients, or 59.2 per cent, were children younger than 12 years old, while 92 were aged between 13 and 19.

The KDCA asked parents to complete vaccination for their children, the report said.

The diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine series consists of three initial shots at two, four, and six months old, and three more shots at 15-18 months old, 4-6 years old, and 11-12 years old.

Whooping cough, also known as the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by bacteria.

Symptoms typically begin like a common cold, with a runny nose, sneezing, low fever, and mild cough.