‘Whooping cough’ vaccination call after 72 cases of potentially serious infection reported

The Public Health Agency (PHA) says there has been significant rise in cases of the highly contagious and sometimes serious bacterial infection.

There have been 72 confirmed cases of whooping cough (pertussis) so far this year in the North compared with just two between 2021 and 2023.

Louise Flanagan, Consultant in Public Health at the PHA, said: “Whooping cough spreads very easily and can make babies and young children in particular very ill, and sadly can even be fatal in young babies or people with heath conditions.

"However, the good news is that it can be prevented through vaccination, so it’s really important that parents get their babies vaccinated against it as part of the childhood vaccination programme, and that pregnant women also get vaccinated, as this will help protect their unborn baby from getting whooping cough in the weeks after birth.

“Whooping cough is a disease that can cause long bouts of coughing and choking, which can make it hard to breathe. The evidence shows that babies born to vaccinated mothers are 90% less likely to get the disease than babies whose mothers were unvaccinated.

“Whooping cough tends to circulate in greater numbers in Northern Ireland every three to four years. Currently we are seeing an increase, so it is a timely reminder of the importance of vaccination.”

Ms. Flanagan said young babies are at greatest risk of developing more serious disease.

The PHA has urged women to accept the offer of a pertussis vaccine during each pregnancy so that their baby is protected against whooping cough after they are born.

“The best time for women to get the vaccine is between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, but vaccine can be beneficial even if given later.

"Whooping cough vaccines are given at GP practices so make sure to make an appointment to get it. If you have any questions about vaccination during pregnancy talk to your midwife or GP about the vaccines,” she said.

The whooping cough vaccine is also given as part of the childhood vaccination programme to children at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age and at aged 3 years 4 months.

The PHA have noted a decline in vaccination uptakes for a range of potentially serious illnesses.

Just like we have seen with the MMR vaccine, which helps protect against measles, mumps and rubella, there has been a decrease in the percentage of children and pregnant women receiving the whooping cough vaccination, the agency said.

Increases in levels of the illness are usually seen every three to four years. Parents are encouraged to be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, which include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic ‘whoop’ sound in young children, and by a prolonged cough in older children or adults. It is also advisable to keep babies away from anyone showing the signs or symptoms of whooping cough.

Whooping cough can spread very easily. It is best to call your GP practice or GP Out of Hours service before you go in person. In an emergency, dial 999.

Visit www.pha.site/whooping-cough and www.nidirect.gov.uk/conditions/whooping-cough

Alarm as uptake of childhood vaccinations against harmful illness declines