Baby dies of whooping cough after mother not vaccinated while pregnant

"The UKHSA says vaccination during pregnancy, introduced in late 2012, is "key to passively protecting babies" in their first weeks of life. Infants are first offered a jab which protects against whooping cough at eight weeks old. Thirty-three infants have died of the illness since 2013 - 27 of whom had mothers who had not received the jab in pregnancy."

"The death, which occurred between January and June 2025, is the first fatal case of whooping cough in the UK this year. The UKHSA's deputy director Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam said the case was a reminder of "how severe whooping cough can be for very young babies". She continued: "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, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks.""

A baby whose mother was not vaccinated against whooping cough during pregnancy died after contracting the infection between January and June 2025. This was the first fatal case of whooping cough in the UK that year. Whooping cough can be fatal for babies, and vaccination during pregnancy, introduced in late 2012, passively protects newborns in their first weeks. Infants are first offered a whooping cough vaccine at eight weeks. Since 2013, 33 infants have died of the illness, 27 of whom had mothers who did not receive the pregnancy jab. Uptake among pregnant women is 72.6%, and childhood vaccine coverage remains below the 95% target.

Read at www.bbc.com