Categories: Health

10 May 2024 Cases of whooping cough continue to rise in the UK.

May 10, 2024

New data released May 9, 2024 by the Health Security Agency Great Britain (UKHSA) show that cases choking cough They continue to rise, with 1,319 cases confirmed in March.

This follows 556 cases in January and 918 in February, bringing the total number of cases in 2024 to 2,793.

Unfortunately, there were five child deaths in the first quarter of 2024 (January-March). Young children are at higher risk of serious complications and death from whooping cough. Updated estimates of vaccine effectiveness during pregnancy show a high level of protection (92%) against infant mortality.

During this quarter, although the majority of cases (50.8%, 1,420) occurred in people aged 15 years and older, who typically experience mild illness, the incidence of whooping cough remained highest among infants under 3 months of age.

Since December 2023, England, like many other countries, has seen an increase in whooping cough cases due to a number of factors. Whooping cough is a cyclical disease that peaks every 3 to 5 years. The last cyclical growth occurred in 2016. However, as with other diseases, the number of cases has dropped to very low levels during the pandemic due to restrictions and public behavior. Therefore, the peak year should have already arrived. The impact of the pandemic also means that the population’s immunity is reduced.

Uptake of vaccines that protect against whooping cough has declined across the country in recent years, both for pregnant women and for children. Timely vaccinations during pregnancy and infancy are important to protect vulnerable children from serious diseases.