Five newborn babies are dead already in a spiralling whooping cough outbreak which has terrified parents.
What Has Happened?
Health chiefs say Covid lockdowns have fuelled England’s unprecedented epidemic of pertussis, nicknamed the ‘100-day cough’ because it’s notoriously hard to shake off.
Will This be the Biggest Outbreak in a Decade?
Almost 3,000 cases have already been recorded in 2024 — triple the levels seen across the entirety of 2023. The ever-growing outbreak is on track to be the biggest in over a decade.
Five babies have died so far this year. All were under the age of three months.
What Is the Cause?
Vaccination rates have also slumped in the wake of the pandemic in a trend experts blame on growing jab scepticism.
Although proven to have saved millions of lives, Covid vaccines have been linked to potentially serious complications.
Mandates during the pandemic are also feared to have dented vaccine confidence.
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What Will Happen Now?
Officials are desperately trying to ramp up vaccination rates, pleading with mothers-to-be to get jabbed.
Whooping cough is as contagious as measles.It protects babies in the first few months of their life, when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines.
