Whooping Cough Cases Triple in the UK, Experts Urge Vaccination
Cases of the highly contagious disease have more than tripled in the UK, with experts urging pregnant women and children to get vaccinated.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported a staggering increase of around 230 per cent in whooping cough cases in England and Wales compared to last year. Between July and the end of November 2023, there were 716 reported occurrences of whooping cough, showing a threefold increase from the same period in 2022.
Officially known as pertussis, whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that people with pertussis are most contagious up to about three weeks after the cough begins.
Early symptoms usually appear seven to 10 days after infection and include a mild fever, runny nose, sore throat, and cough, which gradually develops into a hacking cough and then a whooping one. This can be especially persistent, sometimes lasting for weeks or even months. Some adults may also experience rib pain from coughing so much, or in more extreme cases, a hernia.
While whooping cough affects all ages and is usually mild, it can be more serious for babies and very young children. Babies under the age of 6 months have a higher chance of suffering from pneumonia, breathing difficulties, and seizures. Pregnant women are recommended to get vaccinated to protect their babies from birth, while young babies are offered three doses of the whooping cough jab at eight, twelve, and 16 weeks old.
The Oxford Vaccine Group, a vaccine research group within the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford, reported that the COVID-19 pandemic is the most likely reason for the current increase in pertussis cases. Lockdown measures led to reduced immunity and a fall in vaccination rates due to disruptions caused to medical services.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Consultant Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, highlighted the importance of vaccination in protecting against whooping cough. “Before the introduction of routine immunization, whooping cough used to affect tens of thousands of people. Thanks to vaccination this has dropped dramatically but the infection hasn’t gone away completely as neither infection nor vaccination can provide lifelong protection,” she said in a statement.
The current surge in whooping cough cases serves as a reminder of the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of contagious diseases. Experts emphasize the need for pregnant women and children to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities from the resurgence of whooping cough.