Urgent warning on whooping cough as cases hit highest level in a decade: health chiefs plead with parents to vaccinate children against ‘100-day cough’

Health officials today pleaded with parents to vaccinate their children amid spiraling whooping cough cases.

Experts blame the resurgence of “100-day cough” on a drop in vaccine acceptance among children and expectant mothers, as well as a post-Covid resurgence caused by lower immunity due to pandemic social distancing.

Bosses at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) received 553 laboratory-confirmed reports of whooping cough cases in England alone in January.

It marks a 61-fold increase on the nine recorded during the same month in 2023 and comes after MailOnline revealed earlier this year that whooping cough cases were at their highest point in a decade.

For comparison, last year there were 858 cases in total.

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Health officials warned that it is initially difficult to differentiate the infection from a cold, and the first signs are usually a runny nose and sore throat.

But about a week later, patients may develop coughing fits that last a few minutes, have difficulty breathing after coughing, and make a “screaming” sound between coughs.

Other signs of whooping cough, as it is medically known, include the passing of thick mucus that can cause vomiting and redness of the face.

UKHSA surveillance figures show that of the 553 cases confirmed in January, more than half (287) were among people aged 15 and over.

Just under a third (29.1 percent) were children aged 10 to 14 (161).

About 22 babies under three months old were also diagnosed, who are too young to receive the full vaccine.

The 6-in-1 vaccine, given to babies aged eight, 12 and 16 weeks, and the 4-in-1 preschool booster, given to children aged three years and four months, are vital to protect against whooping cough.

Pregnant women are also encouraged to get vaccinated to protect their baby from contracting the infection during the first weeks of life.

PennsylvaniaRenters have been urged to check that their children have received both blows.

Without the shots, experts warn that people risk becoming seriously ill from the infection and passing it on to others.

However, uptake of the 6-in-1 vaccine (92.6 percent) and the 4-in-1 vaccine (83.3 percent) fell to record lows in 2023, according to NHS England data.

Meanwhile, only 61.5 percent of pregnant women received the whooping cough vaccine in 2022, the smallest number in seven years.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, UKHSA consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Whooping cough can affect people of all ages, but for very young babies it can be particularly serious.” .

‘However, vaccinating pregnant women is very effective in protecting babies from birth until they can receive their own vaccines.

‘Parents can also help protect their children by making sure they receive vaccinations at the right time or by catching up as soon as possible if they have missed any.

“If you are unsure, consult your child’s red book or contact your GP.”

Steve Russell, national director of vaccination and screening for NHS England, added: “With pertussis on the rise, it is important that families come forward to get the protection they need.”

‘If you are pregnant and have not yet been vaccinated, or your child is not up to date with whooping cough or other routine vaccinations, contact your GP as soon as possible and, if you or your child have symptoms, make an appointment . Urgent appointment with GP or get help from NHS 111.

Whooping cough It is caused by the pertussis bacteria and is transmitted by coughing and sneezing.

Health officials warned that it is initially difficult to differentiate the infection from a cold, as the first signs are a runny nose and sore throat. But about a week later, patients may develop coughing fits that last minutes, have difficulty breathing after coughing, and make a “screaming” sound between coughs. Other signs of whooping cough include the passing of thick mucus that can cause vomiting and redness of the face.

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Doctors prescribe antibiotics as treatment if whooping cough is detected within three weeks.

However, if a person has been infected for longer, antibiotics will not speed up recovery.

Before the pandemic, between 2,500 and 4,500 suspected cases were registered each year. This number dropped to around 500 during the coronavirus crisis, as social distancing slowed the spread of most viruses.

But cases reached 1,728 in 2023 due to the post-pandemic rebound, in a trend that experts say is due to lower social immunity as a result of the Covid era. Similar trends were seen for viruses such as influenza and RSV.

However, rates are still nowhere near the annual high of 170,000 recorded in the 1940s. Routine pertussis vaccination in the 1950s dramatically reduced levels.

Health officials also acknowledged that whooping cough cases increase cyclically every few years. The last peak year, 2016, recorded 5,949 cases.