Five babies have died with whooping cough this year amid rapid rise of cases

Five babies in England have died after being diagnosed with whooping cough, health officials have said amid a rapid rise in cases.

Pregnant women are being urged to get vaccinated. Pic: iStock

More than 2,700 whooping cough cases have been reported across England so far this year – more than three times the amount recorded in the whole of last year.

New UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show there were 2,793 cases reported to the end of March.

This is compared with the 858 cases for the whole of 2023.

The UKHSA said there have been five infant deaths between January and the end of March.

“Whooping cough can affect people of all ages but for very young babies it can be extremely serious,” said UKHSA consultant epidemiologist Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby.”

There were 1,319 cases reported in March alone, according to the provisional data. There were 556 cases recorded in January and 918 in February.

Between January and the end of March, 108 babies under the age of three months were diagnosed with whooping cough. Some 51% of cases during this period were among those aged 15 and older.

The bacterial infection, also known as pertussis, affects the lungs and breathing tubes.

Whooping cough can be called the “100-day cough” because of how long it can take to recover from it, and it spreads very easily.

Pregnant women are being urged to take up the offer of the whooping cough vaccine so they can pass on protection to their babies, which should last until they are old enough to get vaccinated themselves.

NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “With cases of whooping cough continuing to rise sharply across the country, and today’s figures sadly showing five infant deaths, it is vital that families come forward to get the protection they need.

“If you are pregnant and have not been vaccinated yet, or your child is not up-to-date with whooping cough or other routine vaccinations, please contact your GP as soon as possible, and if you or your child show symptoms ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111.”

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Health officials describe whooping cough as a “cyclical disease”, meaning it peaks every three to five years, with the last big increase in 2016.

The UKHSA said the impact of the COVID pandemic means there is “reduced immunity in the population”, while vaccine uptake has fallen in recent years for both pregnant women and children.

The NHS recommends all pregnant women are vaccinated against whooping cough between 16 and 32 weeks with immunity passing through the placenta to protect newborn babies in their first weeks of life.

UKHSA said the first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are typically worse at night.

Young babies may also make a distinctive “whoop” or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing, though not all babies make this noise which means whooping cough can be hard to recognise.