Image
Since January there have been at least eight reported deaths in England of infants who developed pertussis, known as whooping cough.
It’s a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways that can cause long bouts of coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe.
Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough.
Babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk from infection, and it can require hospital treatment and be life threatening for them.
If you're pregnant, it's important to take up the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine when it’s offered to you.
It helps protect your baby in their first weeks of life before they get their own vaccine.
The best time to get vaccinated to protect your baby is between 20 to 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Speak to your midwife or contact your GP practice if you are more than 20 weeks pregnant and have not yet been offered the vaccine.
The whooping cough vaccine is also given as part of the routine childhood vaccinations eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age, with a booster offered pre-school.
What to look out for:
The first symptoms are similar to a common cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat.
After about a week, symptoms may include:
- bouts of coughing that lasts for a few minutes and are worse at night
- difficulty breathing after coughing - with some but not all children making a 'whoop' sound
- turning blue or grey (young infants) after coughing
- coughing up a thick mucus / coughing until you’re sick
- becoming very red in the face.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if your baby is under six months old and has symptoms of whooping cough, or you or your child have a very bad cough that's getting worse.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child are finding it hard to breathe properly.
Whooping cough can spread easily so if you have it, you should stay off work, school or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics.
If you are not receiving antibiotics to treat your illness, you will need to stay off for longer. Follow the guidance on the government website.
If you’re pregnant or have a weakened immune system and you’ve been in contact with someone with whooping cough, contact your GP practice to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111.
Drop-in vaccination clinic
School-aged children can get vaccinations at a drop-in clinic in Weston-super-Mare next month.
The drop-in session runs from 10am to 3.30pm on Tuesday 6 August at the For All Healthy Living Centre in Lonsdale Avenue.
Vaccinations available include:
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) – for Years 8-11
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) – for Years 8–11
- Meningococcal ACWY and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio – for Years 9-11.
Find out more by calling the team on 0300 124 5515, emailing sirona.sch-imms@nhs.net or visit the Sirona website.