GPs have diagnosed more than 100 suspected cases of whooping cough this year in Cornwall. The milestone has been revealed as health authorities confirm nine babies have died since the start of the outbreak.
Lab tests have confirmed 7,599 cases of pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory infection more commonly known as whooping cough, in England between January and May 2024. That is around nine times higher than the 858 confirmed cases across 12 months in 2023.
Around half of all cases were in people aged 15 and over who usually get only a mild illness. But there were a high number (262) of cases in babies under three months of age who are most at risk of serious complications and death from whooping cough.
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Tragically, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that nine babies have died in England since the current outbreak began.
Separate figures show that the UKHSA received 939 whooping cough alerts in the week ending June 30, and more than 1,000 cases in each of the eight weeks before that. These are notifications that GPs are required to send to the UKHSA every time they diagnose a case of what they believe to be whooping cough.
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Although they have not been confirmed by lab tests they provide an early warning of possible outbreaks of the disease. Based on the number of lab-confirmed cases, around 23 per cent are later proven to be whooping cough.
In the four weeks up to June 30 alone - the latest figures available - there were 4,610 whooping cough alerts. That includes 34 suspected cases diagnosed by GPs in Cornwall.
Since the start of 2024, there have now been 103 suspected whooping cough cases in Cornwall.
You can see the suspected cases in Cornwall compared to other areas using our interactive map - and down lower you can see the week-by-week cases in Cornwall.
The UKHSA says whooping cough is a cyclical disease and a peak year is “overdue”.
But it says the rise in cases has been aided by falling vaccination rates, with coverage of the vaccination offered to pregnant women to protect newborn infants down to 59 per cent as of March, compared to the peak coverage (73 per cent) in 2017.
Timely vaccination in pregnancy and during childhood are both important to protect vulnerable young infants from serious disease.
All babies are given three doses of the 6-in-1 jab at age eight weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio, with a pre-school booster then offered to three-year-olds.
Dr Mary Ramsay, the UKHSA’s director of immunisation, said: “Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time. Pregnant women are offered a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. This passes protection to their baby in the womb so that they are protected from birth in the first months of their life when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines.
“With cases continuing to rise and sadly nine infant deaths since the outbreak began last November, ensuring women are vaccinated appropriately in pregnancy has never been more important. Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby.
Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for England, said: “The rise in whooping cough cases over the past six months, including several infant deaths, is of real concern and I would urge pregnant women to get vaccinated to help protect their babies in the first few weeks of their life. You can speak with your GP or maternity team if you have any questions about the vaccine.”
Cases week-by-week in 2024 so far in Cornwall show three main spikes - one in each of the past three months.
Whooping cough |
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs. The first signs of illness are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are typically worse at night.
Young babies may also make a distinctive “whoop” or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing, though not all babies make this noise which means whooping cough can be hard to recognise.
Anyone diagnosed with whooping cough should stay at home and not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or two weeks after symptoms start if they have not had antibiotics.
This helps to prevent the spread of infection, especially to vulnerable groups, including infants. However, vaccination remains the best protection for babies and children.
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