In July 2024 the UKHSA shared data revealing that cases of whooping cough are still increasing with 2,591 cases confirmed in May. A significant number of these cases are reported in babies under 3 months old, who are at greatest risk from the infection. Sadly, there have been 8 infant deaths already this year. UKHSA urges vaccination in pregnancy to protect against infant death.
Cases on the rise this year
In England, 7,599 laboratory confirmed cases of pertussis were reported to UKHSA between January and May 2024. Case numbers have been increasing each month: 555 in January, 920 in February, 1,427 in March, 2,106 in April, and 2,591 in May. In this time there have also been 8 reported infant deaths. Of the total cases between January and May 2024, around half (53.4%) were in patients aged 15 years or older and 23.0% were in children between the ages of 10 and 14 years.
The number of confirmed cases in infants under 3 months, the age group most at risk of severe disease and too young to be fully vaccinated, reached a high of 407 in the 2012 outbreak. Between January and May 2024 there were 262 infants under 3 months with confirmed pertussis.
The increase, observed since December 2023, is attributed to a “combination of factors”. Whooping cough is a cyclical disease with peaks every 3 to 5 years; the last cyclical increase occurred in 2016. During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions and public behaviours drove case numbers down. A peak year is therefore “overdue”.
Vaccination during pregnancy
Young children are at highest risk of severe complications and death, but vaccination at the “right time” in pregnancy is “highly effective”, providing 92% protection against infant death. However, vaccination in pregnancy uptake data reveal a continued decline; coverage in March 2024 was 58.9% compared to the peak coverage of 72.6% in March 2017.
Dr Mary Ramsay, UKHSA Director of Immunisation, describes vaccination as the “best defence against whooping cough”.
“It is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time. Pregnant women are offered a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks.”
Vaccination in pregnancy “passes protection” to the baby for the first months of life when they are “most vulnerable” and too young for their own vaccines. Dr Ramsay offered “thoughts and condolences” to the families who have “so tragically lost their baby” in the outbreak and emphasised the importance of “ensuring women are vaccinated appropriately in pregnancy”. England’s Chief Midwifery Officer, Kate Brintworth, shared “real concern” at the rise in cases and deaths.
“I would urge pregnant women to get vaccinated to help protect their babies in the first few weeks of their life. You can speak with your GP or maternity team if you have any questions about the vaccine.”
Brintworth stated that the NHS is continuing to “identify areas at greater risk” and respond with “robust local vaccination offers”.
“Women can access the vaccine, which also protects against diphtheria and tetanus, through their GP or some antenatal services, and parents should also ensure that their children get protected in the first few months after birth as part of the routine NHS vaccine offer.”
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