Nine babies have sadly died since an outbreak of whooping cough started in November 2023, says the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
In the first five months of 2024, 7,599 kids and grown-ups got sick with the disease. Whooping cough makes it hard to breathe and spreads easily from person to person, the numbers showed.
“Little babies are in big danger of getting very sick or dying from whooping cough,” the UKHSA said in its warning.
The agency also said that more than half of the people who got sick are 15 years old or older, and they usually only get a little sick. But many new cases are in babies younger than three months, who can get very, very sick.
Doctors are asking pregnant women and babies to get their whooping cough shots.
The UKHSA said less than 60% of pregnant women are getting the whooping cough vaccine, which is very important to protect newborn babies. They stress that getting the shot at the right time during pregnancy and childhood is key to keeping young infants safe from this serious illness.