Norfolk virologist says it's "critical" pregnant women get vaccinated against whooping cough
The current outbreak is thought to have began in November last year, with the first infant death confirmed in December
A virologist who works at a University in Norfolk is telling us it's "critically important" that pregnant women get vaccinated against whooping cough
Health officials say that ten infants have died from the outbreak of this infection, so far. With 10 thousand cases of it being found in England from January until June, this year.
"By the time the 'whoop' has developed it's too late for antibiotics"
Professor Paul Hunter is from the University of East Anglia:
"It tends to cause chest infections and the classic thing about it is that it causes severe coughing that can lead to people passing out or doing serious damage to their lungs.
"The reason why we offer a whooping cough vaccine to pregnant women is not to protect them, but to protect their baby. If you vaccinate a woman at the right time during her pregnancy she passing on that immunity to the baby and protects it for the first weeks of life
"The organism, Bordetella pertussis, which causes this is affected by antibiotics. But you don't know it's whooping cough early enough for them to work. By the time the 'whoop' has developed it's too late for antibiotics".
A closer look at the numbers:
While most cases were in those aged 15 years or older, more than 300 have been reported in babies under three months old who are at the greatest risk from the infection.
Confirmed cases in the second quarter, from April to June, exceeded those in any quarter of the last major whooping cough outbreak in 2012.
The current outbreak is thought to have began in November last year, with the first infant death confirmed in December.
Whooping cough cases have been at high levels across all regions in England because of a combination of factors, including reduced immunity resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic when cases plummeted, health officials said.
It is a cyclical disease that peaks every three to five years with the last such increase occurring in 2016, meaning the latest peak is "overdue".
The number of pregnant women with vaccination coverage in March was 58.9%, far lower than the peak coverage of 72.6% in March 2017.
This is despite evidence showing that vaccination at the right time in pregnancy provides 92% protection against infant death.
"Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough"
Dr Mary Ramsay, director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time.
"Pregnant women are offered a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. This passes protection to their baby in the womb so that they are protected from birth in the first months of their life when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines.
"With cases continuing to rise and, sadly, 10 infant deaths since the outbreak began last November, ensuring women are vaccinated in pregnancy has never been more important.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby."
When a baby is eight weeks old they are offered the six-in-one vaccine, which includes immunisation against whooping cough.
The second dose of the vaccine is offered at 12 weeks and the third is offered at 16 weeks.
When children are three years and four months they will be offered the four-in-one pre-school booster, which protects against pertussis (whooping cough).