Publish date: 1 November 2024
Whooping cough rates have risen sharply in recent months. These are expected to increase for several months.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. It spreads very easily through coughing and sneezing and can sometimes cause serious health problems, especially in young babies.
Protection through vaccination programme
Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough. This is given as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule in the UK at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age with a booster offered preschool:
- The 6-in-1 vaccine - for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks
- The 4-in-1 pre-school booster – for pre-school children
More information is available here on NHS UK https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/6-in-1-vaccine/
Vaccination in pregnancy
Pregnant women can help protect their babies by getting the whooping cough vaccine until they're able to have their own whooping cough vaccination from 8 weeks old. Vaccination for pregnant women will be administered by their midwife.
Whooping cough signs and symptoms
The symptoms of whooping cough are initially similar to a common cold, with a runny nose, mild fever, leading to uncontrolled bouts of intense coughing which in some cases can make “whooping” sound, sometimes causing vomiting.
Babies under 3 months old who are not fully protected through immunisation are at the highest risk of developing severe complications including pauses in breathing (apnoea), dehydration, pneumonia, or seizures.
Cases are infectious from about 6 days after the start of cold-like symptoms to 3 weeks after the coughing starts.
Our Occupational Health service are currently working through a list of colleagues working in any children’s services or settings where there is an increased risk of exposure. Those colleagues will be contacted by email to advise that they will be offered an appointment for a Pertussis booster vaccination or if they have received a Pertussis booster recently or within the last 5 years, to provide this evidence to Occupational Health directly - OHWB@merseycare.nhs.uk and their staff OH Immunisation record will be updated accordingly.
You can read more about the signs, symptoms and what to do if you suspect your child may have whooping cough https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/whooping-cough/ .If you are worried your baby may have whooping cough, contact your doctor immediately.