Whooping Cough Cases Surge in the UK, Urgent Vaccination Efforts Needed

There’s been a troubling rise in whooping cough cases in the UK, with health officials confirming a significant increase this year. Up until June, over 10,000 cases have been reported, and sadly, ten infants have lost their lives due to the illness.

This current outbreak has been ongoing since November last year, and health experts from the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) are concerned. They say the surge is attributed to a peak year in this cyclical disease along with many people having reduced immunity following the COVID pandemic.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, highlighted how serious this can be, especially for very young babies. “Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby,” she said.

While the majority of whooping cough cases usually affect older teens and adults, babies under three months are particularly vulnerable. Over 300 of the reported cases were in this age group, making them significantly at risk of severe complications.

According to UKHSA data, the number of cases peaked in May with 2,427 reported in June alone. This surge has raised alarms, prompting urgent health guidance for pregnant women to ensure they get vaccinated to protect their babies right from birth.

Dr Kathryn Basford from online health service Zava emphasized the importance of vaccination. She explains that whooping cough starts off like a typical cough but can quickly intensify, resulting in dramatic coughing fits, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, even hospitalization.

Sadly, the uptake of the vaccination among pregnant women has declined, dropping from about 72% in 2017 to just 58.9% in March this year. Dr Mary Ramsay from UKHSA stressed that getting vaccinated has never been more important in light of the rising cases and heartbreaking fatalities.

All babies get their first doses of the whooping cough vaccine as part of a six-in-one jab at two months, followed by booster shots as they grow. Meanwhile, the UKHSA continues to encourage everyone to practice good hygiene to help contain the spread of this contagious illness.