Britain’s whooping cough death toll rises to 8 newborns as health chiefs urge people to get vaccinated

Pregnant women are being urged to get the whooping cough vaccine after three more babies died from the disease in England, health officials say.

This means that a total of eight babies have died from the disease since the start of the year, with the number of cases rapidly increasing.

There have been 4,793 confirmed cases of whooping cough since January, with one academic describing the scale of the current outbreak as ‘alarming’.

This compares with 858 cases in all of 2023, according to figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

In April this year, according to the most recent figures available, there were 1,888 cases, the highest monthly total of the year so far. The current outbreak is the largest since 2012.

Health officials warned that the infection may initially be difficult to distinguish from a cold because the first signs are a runny nose and sore throat. But about a week later, patients may experience coughing fits that last minutes, have difficulty breathing after coughing, and make a “whoop” sound between coughs. Other signs of whooping cough include bringing up thick mucus that can lead to vomiting and flushing of the face

Whooping cough is called the ‘100 day cough’ because of the time it can take to recover from it, and it spreads very easily (stock image)

Between January and the end of April, about 181 babies under three months of age were diagnosed with whooping cough.

About half of the latest cases have been registered in people aged 15 or older and 26 percent in children between 10 and 14 years.

The bacterial infection, also called whooping cough, affects the lungs and breathing tubes.

Whooping cough can be called the ‘100-day cough’ because it can take a long time to recover from, and it spreads very easily.

Pregnant women are being urged to take up the offer of the whooping cough vaccine so they can pass on the protection to their babies, which should last until they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves.

Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: ‘Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families who have lost their babies so tragically.

‘As the number of whooping cough cases continues to rise across the country and sadly further infant deaths in April, we are once again reminded how serious the disease can be for very young babies.

‘Pregnant women should receive a whooping cough vaccine with each pregnancy, normally around the time of the mid-pregnancy scan (usually 20 weeks).

‘This passes the protection to their baby in the womb, so they are protected from birth in the early months of life, when they are most vulnerable, and before they can receive their own vaccines.’

The NHS recommends that all pregnant women between 16 and 32 weeks are vaccinated against whooping cough.

Immunity to the shot crosses the placenta to protect newborn babies in their first weeks of life.

When a baby is eight weeks old, he is offered the six-in-one vaccine, including immunization against whooping cough.

The second dose of the vaccine is offered after 12 weeks and the third dose after 16 weeks.

When children are three years and four months old, they are offered the four-in-one preschool booster, which protects against whooping cough.

The government has been urged to highlight the deadly danger of whooping cough to boost vaccine uptake, as it did in the 1980s and 1990s.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, said: ‘With the number of whooping cough cases continuing to rise sharply across the country, and today’s UKHSA figures sadly showing even more child deaths, it is vital that families come forward to get the protection they need. need.’

UKHSA said the first signs of whooping cough are similar to those of a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week the infection can develop into coughing fits that last a few minutes and are usually worse at night.

Young babies may also make a noticeable ‘whooping cough’ or have difficulty breathing after a coughing fit, although not all babies make this sound, meaning whooping cough can be difficult to spot.

Professor Andrew Preston, from the University of Bath, said: ‘When the current outbreak will reach its peak is unknown, the number of cases has been steadily increasing since the end of last year.

‘Remarkably, more cases have been recorded in each month of 2024 than in any month since before 2018.

‘While an increase in cases had been expected as other respiratory infections have recovered from the very low levels seen during the pandemic, the scale of the current outbreak is alarming.

‘As the number of cases continues to rise, this indicates that circulation within the population of the causative bacterium Bordetella pertussis is increasing, further increasing the risk of infection.’