Whooping cough cases continue to rise

UKHSA monthly data shows cases of whooping cough continue to increase with 1,319 cases confirmed in March nationally.

Young infants are at highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough. Sadly, in the first quarter of 2024 (January – March), there have been five infant deaths.

Vaccination remains the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time. Updated estimates of vaccine effectiveness in pregnancy shows high levels of protection (92%) against infant death.

UKHSA have resources to help stakeholders raise awareness of the vaccine offer:

• They have published a maternal vaccination stakeholder communications toolkit to support stakeholders to explain and promote the NHS vaccination programme to pregnant women. This currently focusses on the whooping cough vaccine offer and will be updated with information on other vaccine offers in the future. It contains background information, statistics, key messages, social media assets and copy and links to useful information including health publications which help raise awareness of whooping cough, its signs and symptoms and the vaccine offers.
• They have a collection of guidance, data and analysis on pertussis (whooping cough) on our website.
• Webinar for health professionals (held in March) – download available here.
• A new GP blog is here I was a GP on the frontline of a whooping cough epidemic. Here is what I saw. – UK Health Security Agency (blog.gov.uk)