London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Another baby has died after acquiring whooping cough, bringing the total number of infant casualties from the disease in England during the current attack to 10, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
How Has the Number of Whooping Cough Cases Increased?
The demise comes as the latest UKHSA data revealed the number of confirmed laboratory cases of whooping cough in England reached 10,000 in the year to June. While most cases were in those aged 15 years or more, more than 300 have been documented in babies under three months, who are at the most sumptuous risk from the infection. The current attack is thought to have started in England in November last year.
What Are the Risks for Babies Under Three Months?
There have now been a total of 10 baby deaths from whooping cough since the outbreak started in November last year. There was one infant demise in December 2023, and nine between January and the end of June 2024.
Whooping cough, also understood as pertussis, is caused by a bacterium that is shipped by coughing, sneezing or sharing the same breathing room as an infected person. Early indications include mild, cold-like symptoms, a low fever and periodic coughing. These usually last for one to two weeks, after which the coughing fits begin.
It has been defined as a “cyclical” disease, meaning the number of patients peaks every few years. Experts have also stated there is reduced immunity against the condition in the general public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Why Is Whooping Cough Vaccination Crucial for Pregnant Women?
Pregnant women have again been advised to get the whooping cough vaccine for their infants to be protected before they are aged enough to receive the vaccine themselves. Babies can first be immunised against the disease when eight weeks old, while pregnant women are recommended to get the vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks.
The most delinquent vaccination uptake data for the vaccination delivered to pregnant women to protect newborn infants against whooping cough persists to decline, with coverage in March 2024 at 58.9% compared with the extreme coverage (72.6%) in March 2017.
Experts have expressed the true number of cases is likely to be more elevated, as mild cases can be misdiagnosed with other respiratory diseases in the early stages when the disease can be tested for.
Dr Mary Ramsay, the director of immunisation at UKHSA, stated: “Vaccination is the best protection against whooping cough and it is important that pregnant women and young infants acquire their vaccines at the right time. “Pregnant women are shown a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. This gives protection to their baby in the womb so that they are covered from birth in the first months of their life when they are most weak and before they can receive their vaccines.”