1 week ago
Five babies in England have died after being diagnosed with whooping cough, health officials have said, amid a rapid rise in cases.
More than 2,700 whooping cough cases have been reported across England so far in 2024 – more than three times the number recorded in the whole of last year.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show 2,793 cases were reported to the end of March, compared with 858 cases for the whole of 2023. Of the 2,793 cases, around half (50.8%) were in those aged 15 or older, and 28.6% were in children aged 10 to 14.
The UKHSA said there had been five infant deaths between January and the end of March.
The agency’s consultant epidemiologist, Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, said: “Whooping cough can affect people of all ages, but for very young babies it can be extremely serious. Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby.”
In March, 1,319 cases were reported, according to the provisional data.
The bacterial infection, also known as pertussis, affects the lungs and breathing tubes.
Whooping cough, which spreads easily, can be called the “100-day cough” because of the length of time it takes to recover.
