Nine newborns have died from whooping cough between November and the end of May, according to the NHS. The disease damages the lungs and breathing tubes and spreads quickly.
As of May, 2,591 instances had been confirmed, up from 555 in January, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
According to the UKHSA, there were 7,599 cases from January to May compared to just 858 cases for the entire previous year.
The organization has also instructed parents to make sure their children have had all recommended vaccinations.
Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is a bacterial illness of the lungs that causes coughing fits that usually get worse at night. Babies younger than three months old are most susceptible to getting it.
Its name derives from the characteristic “whoop” sound that newborns occasionally make when they’re breathing heavily.
Every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks, pregnant women are provided the whooping cough vaccine, which provides 92% protection against the disease’s death to the unborn child.
At eight, twelve, and sixteen weeks of age, all babies receive three doses of the six-in-one combination vaccine to protect against whooping cough and other dangerous illnesses, including diphtheria.
