Doctors issue fresh whooping cough warning as cases rise and nine babies die

Health experts have issued a fresh warning about whooping cough following a significant increase in cases across England. Nine babies are known to have died between November and the end of May, while new data reveals that 2,591 instances of the disease were recorded in May alone.

According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), England recorded 555 whooping cough cases in January, 920 in February, 1,427 in March, and 2,106 in April. May saw 2,591 confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases from January to May 2024 to 7,599. In the entirety of last year, there were just 858 cases, according to the UKHSA.

The most vulnerable group for serious complications and death from whooping cough are young babies. According to the UKHSA, from January to May this year, while the majority of cases (53 per cent, or 4,057) occurred in individuals aged 15 and above who typically experience mild symptoms, there were 262 cases in babies under three months old, who face the highest danger from the disease.

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Whooping cough, alternatively known as pertussis, is an infection caused by bacteria that impacts the lungs. The symptoms initially appear similar to a cold with a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week it can evolve into severe bouts of coughing that tend to be worse at night.

Young infants might also produce a unique "whoop" sound or struggle with breathing, although not all babies reveal this noise. The health agency is now encouraging pregnant women to get the whooping cough vaccine and parents are being urged to ensure their children's immunisations are up to date.

Doctors are urging pregnant women to get the whooping cough