Doctors and Public Health experts in Rotherham are encouraging pregnant women to get vaccinated against whooping cough to offer protection to their new born babies.
The Department of Health recently announced the free vaccinations would be offered following a rise in the number of cases and the fact that newborn babies are particularly vulnerable to this highly infectious bacterial infection.
The temporary vaccination programme aims to boost the short-term immunity passed on by pregnant women to their newborn babies who cannot be vaccinated themselves until they are two months old.
During 2012 there have been nine infant deaths as a result of whooping cough and 302 cases of the disease in children under three months old.
Dr John Radford, Director of Public Health at NHS Rotherham, said: “It’s vital that babies are protected from the day they are born – that’s why we are offering the vaccine to pregnant women, from the 28th week of pregnancy.
“Over the last year there has been a large rise in the number of whooping cough cases with the most serious cases being in children too young to be protected by routine vaccinations.
“If you are pregnant, getting vaccinated is the best way you can protect your baby against whooping cough.”
Whooping cough in children usually begins with a persistent dry and irritating cough that progresses to intense bouts of coughing. These are followed by a distinctive 'whooping' noise, which is how the condition gets its name. Other symptoms include a runny nose, raised temperature and vomiting after coughing. In adults the symptoms may be less specific, presenting as a persistent cough. Symptoms can last for around three months.
In older children and adults they may only suffer from a persisting severe cough.
Antibiotics are ineffective in reducing the cough if given any longer than three weeks before the cough began. The cough may persist for several weeks.
Children with clinical whooping cough should be kept away from school or nursery until after they have finished taking antibiotics for five days or three weeks after the onset of the cough. The same advice applies to adults returning to work.
As a precaution, household members of someone with whooping cough may also be given antibiotics and a booster shot of the vaccine.
Anyone who believes they have whooping cough should contact their GP for advice on how to manage the infection.
All pregnant women will be offered the whooping cough vaccination by their GP.
Ref: NHSR12-P38
Last reviewed: 11/10/2012
