The recent increase in whooping cough cases in England has raised concerns among health officials and experts, with five babies reported to have died from the disease this year. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, head of the UK's vaccine committee, has expressed his worries about the rising cases and emphasized the importance of higher vaccination rates, particularly among pregnant women.
According to UK health officials, there have been 1,319 cases of whooping cough in England in March, with a total of nearly 2,800 cases reported so far this year. The bacterial infection, which can lead to prolonged bouts of coughing, is cyclical in nature and peaks every three to five years. The last peak year was in 2016 when there were nearly 6,000 cases in England.
Factors contributing to the rise in cases include a decline in vaccine uptake and the low number of infections seen during the pandemic. The UK Health Security Agency reported that the restrictions on socializing during the pandemic helped prevent the spread of diseases, leading to an overdue peak year for whooping cough.
Health experts are urging those who have not been vaccinated to come forward and receive the jab. The whooping cough vaccine is routinely given to babies at 8, 12, and 16 weeks as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine, and as a pre-school booster for children aged three years and four months. Pregnant women are also advised to get the whooping cough vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks to protect their babies in the first few months of life.
While the vaccines are not 100% protective, they significantly reduce the chances of severe illness and death. The rise in cases of whooping cough and other infections should serve as a wake-up call for the importance of preventative healthcare and the need for appropriate resources to support vaccination efforts.