A whooping cough outbreak in the UK has resulted in nine infant deaths since November 2023, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The outbreak has affected a total of 7,599 children and adults in the first five months of 2024.
The UKHSA warns that young babies are at the highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough, which affects the lungs and breathing tubes and spreads easily. While over half of those infected are aged 15 or older and experience a mild illness, high numbers of cases continue to be reported in babies under three months old, who are at the greatest risk from the infection.
To combat the outbreak, medics are urging pregnant women and babies to get vaccinated against whooping cough. However, the UKHSA reports that the latest data shows vaccination rates offered to pregnant women to protect newborn infants against whooping cough has fallen below 60%. The agency stresses that timely vaccination in pregnancy and childhood is crucial to protect vulnerable young infants from serious disease.
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