Whooping cough: Five babies in England die after diagnosis, officials say

Five babies in England have died after being diagnosed with whooping cough, health officials said, amid a rapid rise in cases.

So far in 2024, more than 2,700 cases of whooping cough have been reported across England – more than three times as many as all of last year.

UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) figures show that 2,793 cases were reported through the end of March, compared to 858 cases for all of 2023.

According to the UKHSA, there have been five child deaths between January and the end of March.

UKHSA epidemiologist Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam said: “Whooping cough can affect people of all ages, but for very young babies it can be extremely serious. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families who have so tragically lost their babies.”

According to preliminary data, 1,319 cases were reported in March.

The bacterial infection, also known as whooping coughaffects the lungs and breathing tubes.

Whooping cough can be called the “100-day cough” because of the time it takes to recover from it, and it spreads very easily.