Parents told to immunise children against whooping cough, as cases rise
Friday, January 6, 2012
Parents are being urged to ensure their child is up to date with all of their vaccinations following a rise in the number of whooping cough cases in England and Wales.
The Health Protection Agency’s (HPA) warning comes after its latest figures show the number of cases of whooping cough in England and Wales has more than doubled from 421 cases in 2010 to 1,040 in 2011.
While the HPA claims that a rise in cases of whooping cough every three to four years is common, it warns that young children who have not been vaccinated are particularly vulnerable to the disease, as are babies under four months because they are not fully protected by the vaccine.
Children are offered the whooping cough vaccine at two, three and four months of age, as part of their routine vaccination programme. They also receive a booster vaccine at around three- and-a half to four-years-old, before they start school.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the HPA, said, ‘The uptake of the vaccine which protects against whooping cough is very good but it is a highly infectious disease so when there is a case it can spread quickly.
‘Parents should ensure their children are up to date with their vaccinations so that they are protected at the earliest opportunity. The pre-school booster is also important, not only to boost protection in that child but also to help prevent them passing the infection on to vulnerable babies.’
