Whooping cough outbreak that’s killed five newborn babies ‘could be biggest in 40 years’: Alarm over rapid spread of ‘100-day cough’ as experts beg pregnant women to get vaccinated

Pregnant women were today urged to get vaccinated against whooping cough amid a worrying surge in cases that has already killed five babies. 

As a few as a quarter of expectant mothers have had the pertussis jab – offered between 16 and 32 weeks — in parts of London. 

Similarly low levels are seen in other parts of the capital and Birmingham. 

Experts today warned the outbreak could be the biggest ‘of the last 40 years’. 

Almost 3,000 cases have already been recorded in 2024 — triple the levels seen across the entirety of 2023. 

Health chiefs say Covid lockdowns have fuelled England’s unprecedented pertussis epidemic, nicknamed the ‘100-day cough’.

Vaccination rates have also slumped in the wake of the pandemic in a trend experts blame on growing jab scepticism. 

Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, today said: ‘Whooping cough can and does kill babies.

‘A high coverage of vaccination is vital in reducing transmission within populations.

‘Vaccine uptake in young children and for expectant mothers during pregnancy is so important. The vaccine is safe, and extremely effective.’

He added: ‘As a disease, whooping cough is as infectious as measles, and more infectious than Covid. 

‘This is in part due to a long period where the infected individual can be infectious, able to transmit the bacteria onto others. 

‘Thus, with a larger pool of susceptible people, there is increased likelihood of an outbreak being sustained.’

Meanwhile, Professor Andrew Preston, an expert in biology, from the University of Bath, said: ‘Uptake of the maternal booster has dropped from a high of 70 per cent to under 60 per cent. 

‘This results in many more young babies and infants susceptible to infection. 

‘It is tragic to see babies dying from whooping cough and with cases on the rise it is vital for vaccination rates to recover.’

Professor Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, added: ‘This current year looks like we may see more cases than we have seen in any of the last 40 years.’

Younger children, particularly under the age of three months, are ‘most at risk of death and developing longer term problems such as brain damage’, he said. 

‘The problem is that this age group is too young for the vaccine in most circumstances,’ he added.

‘That is why we offer vaccine to pregnant women. Not to protect them but to protect their babies during the riskiest first months of life.’ 

Dozens of babies died each year before the pregnancy jab roll-out was introduced in England in 2012.

Only 21 fatalities were recorded between then and 2023. All but two of their mothers were unvaccinated. 

MailOnline understands of the five babies who have died in 2024 — all under the age of three months — two of their mothers were unvaccinated. 

Less than two thirds (59.5 per cent) of expectant mothers in England took the pertussis vaccine, latest figures for 2023 show.

Uptake of the six-in-one jab — offered to babies in their first couple months of life — is also at an all-time low.

Just 91.8 per cent were fully vaccinated by their 1st birthday in 2022/23, according to NHS figures.

Babies are given three doses of the six-in-one jab at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio. 

A pre-school booster is offered after they turn three.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, consultant epidemiologist at UK Health Security Agency, today also said: ‘Vaccination remains the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time.

‘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.’

Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, added: ‘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.’

MPs today also urged the Government  to ‘rethink’ its vaccine approach to encourage parents to get their infants vaccinated. 

Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee Steve Brine said: ‘Today’s figures from the UKHSA highlight the need for rapid action to prevent a further fall in the uptake of vaccinations across the country.

‘In our work on this subject, my committee urged the government to heed the lessons of the Covid vaccine rollout making the most of the wide range of healthcare professionals who could deliver vaccines in easy to reach places. 

‘Specifically, to give medical and nursing students and recently retired staff a greater role to help boost declining rates, a call ministers rejected.’

The Tory MP for Winchester added: ‘In the light of today’s sad news, I urge the government to rethink its approach and follow steps we have outlined to boost vaccination uptake across the country.’

It comes as one mother last month urged pregnant women to take up the offer of the jab after her one-month old spent 10 days in a coma with whooping cough. 

Polly Deehy had a rattly cough and laboured breathing when she was just two weeks old on April 6.

After four days coughing at home she suddenly turned blue and her parents Kerry Pearson, 26 and Jack Deehy, 29, rushed her to Darrent Valley Hospital, in Dartford. 

After her condition worsened, she was transferred to St Mary’s Hospital in London where she was diagnosed with the condition and put on a ventilator.

Polly is now awake and breathing independently. 

Ms Pearson said: ‘I’ve never been more relieved in my life. I watched them take the tubes out and turn all the machines off [as she recovered]. It was the best thing ever.

‘The odds were not in her favour, but she’s been very very lucky. There’s no evidence of any lasting problems, but she might have a bit of weakness in her lungs — time will tell. 

She added: ‘I just want people to be aware. You should have the whooping cough vaccine when you’re pregnant. If you’re not offered it then please demand it.

‘If you’re an anti-vaxxer please reconsider — this is deadly to infants — it’s not worth the risk. Nothing is worth going through what we’re going through.’

Earlier in the month, another mum also made an emotional plea after her one-month-old also spent two weeks in hospital including a spell in intensive care with the illness. 

Rosie Robson, from County Durham, suddenly developed symptoms of whooping cough in February at just three weeks old. 

After attending the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, she was later transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. 

She was only discharged after two weeks where she continues to recover. 

Her mother, Molly Pickering, said while she remembered being offered the whooping cough vaccine while pregnant, she did not think she was given enough information about how awful the illness can be.

The 25-year-old also told Chronicle Live: ‘At the hospital, the woman who was looking after Rosie said they had seen nothing like this [the number of Whooping Cough cases].

‘She said it was wild how many babies were coming in with it. feel like you now we are really well-educated about getting the Covid vaccine but it’s easy to forget about other viruses.’

Whooping cough can initially be difficult to tell apart from a cold, with the first signs typically being a runny nose and sore throat.

But around a week later, sufferers may develop coughing bouts which last minutes, struggle to breathe after coughing and make a ‘whoop’ sound between coughs.

Other signs of pertussis include bringing up a thick mucus that can cause vomiting and becoming red in the face.

Whooping cough is a cyclical illness which typically peaks every five years. The last occurred in 2016, when almost 6,000 cases were confirmed.

Pre-pandemic, between 2,500 and 4,500 suspected cases were logged each year. This fell to around 500 during the coronavirus crisis.

Lockdowns stifled the spread of pathogens as people met less.

UKHSA bosses said the impact of the Covid pandemic also means there is reduced immunity in the population. Similar rebounds were seen for flu and RSV. 

Surveillance statistics show 2,793 lab-confirmed cases have been reported this year to the end of March.

Of these, 556 were logged in January, 918 in February and 1,319 in March.

Half (50.8 per cent) were among those aged 15 and older, with more than a quarter (28.6 per cent) in children aged 10 to 14.

But rates remained highest in babies under three months, who are most at risk.

However, infection rates are still nowhere near the annual high of 170,000 logged in the 1940s.

Routine vaccination, introduced in the 1950s, dramatically slashed levels.

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

Sufferers are infectious from around six days after cold-like symptoms begin to three weeks after their cough starts.

Doctors dish out antibiotics as treatment if the whooping cough is detected within three weeks. 

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

Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults but can still cause sore ribs, a hernias, ear infections and urinary incontinence among these groups.