Another infant has died of whooping cough in the UK, health officials have confirmed.
The child died in June, according to the Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
An outbreak of whooping cough, which affects the lungs and breathing tubes and spreads very easily, began in November last year.
There have been 10 deaths from the infection in the UK since.
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The number of cases of the infection has also risen above 10,000, according to UKHSA.
Latest data shows whooping cough cases peaked in May this year and high levels continued into June with 2,427 cases reported.
While most cases were in those aged 15 years or older, more than 300 have been reported in babies under three months, who are at greatest risk of dying or developing severe complications from the infection.
Evidence shows that vaccination at the right time during pregnancy gives 92% protection against infant death. Pic: iStock
The agency said confirmed cases of whooping cough from April to June 2024 were “very high” and exceeded cases in any quarter since the last major outbreak in 2012.
It put the outbreak down to a “peak year” of the cyclical disease being overdue and the impact of the COVID pandemic which means there is reduced immunity to whooping cough in the population.
The UKHSA has now urged pregnant women to get vaccinated to protect their babies from birth.
Evidence from England shows vaccination at the right time during pregnancy is highly effective, giving 92% protection against infant death.
But data from the UKHSA showed that the uptake of the vaccination in pregnant women continued to decline in March this year, with only 58.9% compared with 72.6% in 2017.
Dr Mary Ramsay, director of immunisation at the UKHSA, said: “With cases continuing to rise and sadly 10 infant deaths since the outbreak began last November, ensuring women are vaccinated in pregnancy has never been more important.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby.”
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All babies are given three doses of the six-in-one jab at the ages of eight, 12 and 16 weeks in order to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio.
Infants of pre-school age are then offered a booster at three years and four months.
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