Whooping cough alert rises in England. Five children have died, while infections continue to increase. The British Health Safety Agency (Ukhsa) reported 1,319 cases in England in March, after just over 900 in February, for a total of almost 2,800 in 2024, BBC news online reports. There are fears that it could be a ‘record’ year for the bacterial infection, as happened in 2016, when the peak of almost 6 thousand cases (5,949) was reached. Peaks that are generally observed every three to five years. The infection – experts recall – can be particularly serious for infants and young children. Half of the cases observed this year have so far involved ‘under 15s’, with the highest rates in children less than three months old.
According to Ukhsa, behind this increase are the steady decline in vaccinations in pregnant women and children and the very low numbers of whooping cough observed during the pandemic, as happened with other infections due to restrictions and public behavior. The peak was therefore expected, the agency said, urging families to get vaccinated if they have not already done so. As of September 2023, the number of two-year-olds completing routine six-in-one vaccinations, which includes protection against whooping cough, fell 92.9% from 96.3% in March 2014. Uptake also of the vaccine during pregnancy, has decreased: from over 70% in September 2017 to around 58% in September 2023.
For Ukhsa, this is a serious problem. “Vaccination remains the best defense against whooping cough and it is essential that pregnant women and newborns receive vaccines at the right time. Whooping cough can affect people of all ages, but for very young children it can be extremely serious – underlines the Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, of the British agency – Our thoughts and condolences go to those families who lost their child so tragically.”
Symptoms of whooping cough
The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, with a runny nose and sore throat. But after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing fits that last a few minutes and typically get worse at night. Young children may have difficulty breathing after a coughing fit.
The bacteria are spread through coughing and sneezing. Experts advise members of a household diagnosed with the virus to stay home until three weeks after the onset of symptoms or 48 hours after the patient begins taking antibiotics.
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