Whooping cough: Health officials urge pregnant women to get vaccinated as another infant dies

Health officials have again urged pregnant women to ensure they are vaccinated to protect their babies against whooping cough, as the latest figures showed that cases in England have risen to 10 000 this year, with a further death of an infant in June.Data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for England show that 2427 cases of pertussis were reported in June, bringing the total number of laboratory confirmed cases between January and June 2024 to 10 493.1There have now been 10 infant deaths since the current outbreak began in November last year.Babies are given three doses of the vaccine against whooping cough as part of the 6 in 1 jab at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. Vaccination in pregnancy passively protects babies before they can be directly protected by the infant vaccine programme. However, vaccination rates among pregnant women continue to fall, with the latest…
Read Original Article: Whooping cough: Health officials urge pregnant women to get vaccinated as another infant dies »