Whooping cough: Cases up again as five infant deaths reported

Five babies have died from whooping cough as cases continue to rise in England, health officials have announced.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 1,319 cases in England in March, after just over 900 in February, making the 2024 total nearly 2,800.

It fears it could be a bumper year for the bacterial infection. The last peak year, 2016, saw 5,949 cases in England.

The infection can be particularly serious for babies and infants.

Half of cases seen so far this year have been in the under-15s, with the highest rates in babies under three months of age.

The five babies who died this year were all under three months old.

Known as pertussis or "100-day cough", the infection is a cyclical disease with peaks seen every three to five years.

UKHSA has said a steady decline in uptake of the vaccine in pregnant women and children and the very low numbers seen during the pandemic, as happened with other infections because of restrictions and public behaviour, were both factors.

The agency said a peak year was therefore overdue and urged families to come forward to get vaccinated if they had not already.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 9 May 2024