Baby dies after contracting whooping cough as cases soar

A baby aged under 12 months died earlier this year after contracting whooping cough in Scotland, amid a sharp spike in cases.

There have been 5,270 laboratory-confirmed instances of whooping cough up to 15 July, figures from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show.

A rapid rise in cases across the UK has seen the deaths of eight babies in England since the start of the year.

The first of a new series of monthly reports has now been published by PHS, saying whooping cough cases are likely to remain high until the autumn.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways, with unimmunised infants more likely to develop complications.

Babies under one are said to be most at risk.

The illness can be prevented with immunisation which is given to pregnant women, infants and younger children.

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Whooping cough: What are the symptoms and who can get a vaccine?

Among the Scottish cases, 59.8% were in people aged over 15, some 20.6% were aged between 10 and 14, while 19.6% of cases were in children under 10.

The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat (a high temperature is uncommon).

After about a week, you or your child:

• Will get coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night.

• May make a “whoop” sound – a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not “whoop”).

• May have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey (young infants).

• May bring up a thick mucus, which can make you vomit.

• May become very red in the face (more common in adults).

The cough may last for several weeks or months.

Source: NHS

Consultant paediatrician Sir Andrew Pollard – who is chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation – said in May the “biggest issue” in the spread of whooping cough infections was low vaccination rates.

PHS urged pregnant women to make sure they are immunised between weeks 16 and 32 of their pregnancies.

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Dr Nick Phin, director of public health science at PHS, said: “Getting immunised during pregnancy is the best way to protect your baby in the first few vulnerable weeks of their life.

“All pregnant women are eligible for the whooping cough vaccine from week 16 of their pregnancy.

“The ideal time to get it is between weeks 16 and 32. The whooping cough vaccine is recommended every time you’re pregnant, even if you’ve had the vaccine before.

“It is also extremely important that parents ensure their babies get their whooping cough vaccine, which is given at eight, 12 and 16 weeks as part of the six-in-one vaccine.”

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