The number of whooping cough cases in England has risen dramatically this year. By the end of March, almost 2,800 people had fallen ill in most of Britain alone and five babies had died.
As the health authority UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) announced on Thursday, the current number of sick people is more than three times as high as in all of last year.
The vaccination rate fell
According to experts, the reason for the strong increase is, among other things, that there has not been a major outbreak of the cyclical disease since 2016. In addition, population immunity declined during the pandemic. The vaccination rate has also fallen.
Newborns and infants are particularly affected
According to the UKHSA, newborns and infants are particularly at risk of life-threatening complications.
It is therefore important that pregnant women and babies receive their vaccinations at the right time, said UKHSA epidemiologist Gayatri Amirthalingam, according to the statement.
More whooping cough cases in Europe: Austria with the lowest vaccination rate
Nearly 60,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in Europe from 2023 to April 2024. This is an increase of more than ten times compared to 2022 and 2021, the EU health authority ECDC said on Wednesday. According to the report, Austria has the lowest vaccination rate against whooping cough in Europe at 84 percent.
There has also been an increase in cases in this country in recent years; in March a newborn baby died of whooping cough.
Source: Krone
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