Cases of the highly contagious disease have more than tripled in the UK, with experts recommending pregnant women and children be vaccinated.
If you can’t stop coughing, you’re not alone.
Cases of whooping cough, also known as whooping cough, are on the rise in England and Wales, with an increase of around 230 per cent compared to last year. according to the numbers From the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA).
From July 2023 to the end of November 2023, there were 716 reported cases of pertussis, three times more than in the same period in 2022.
However, these numbers remain lower than before the pandemic.
Whooping cough, officially known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and respiratory tract.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the disease is most dangerous to infants and warns that pertussis patients are most contagious about three weeks after they start coughing.
What are the symptoms of whooping cough?
Initial symptoms usually appear 7 to 10 days after infection and include a mild fever, runny nose, sore throat, and cough, but gradually develop into a hacking cough and then whooping cough (hence the name). According to the NHS, this is particularly persistent and can last for weeks or even months in some cases.
Some adults may experience rib pain or, in more extreme cases, a hernia from coughing too much.
Whooping cough can affect people of all ages and is usually mild, but can be more severe in infants and young children. Babies under 6 months of age are especially more likely to develop pneumonia, difficulty breathing, and seizures.
For this reason, pregnant women are recommended to be vaccinated from birth to protect their babies, and young babies are given three doses of pertussis vaccine at 8, 12, and 16 weeks after birth. is recommended.
Why are the number of infected people increasing?
In the 1950s, there were more than 100,000 suspected pertussis cases a year in England and Wales. oxford vaccine groupreported by the Vaccine Research Group within the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford.
The development of vaccines for children has dramatically reduced this number and prevented thousands of deaths.
According to the UKHSA, the most likely cause of the current rise in pertussis cases is the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, with lockdown measures leading to a decline in immunity due to disruption to health services and vaccination rates. It is said that this is related to a decline in
“Before the introduction of routine immunization, whooping cough affected tens of thousands of people. Thanks to vaccination, that number has fallen dramatically, but both infection and vaccination are life-long.” The infection is not completely eliminated because it cannot provide protection,” Dr. Gayatri said. Amirthalingam, a consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health and Safety Executive, said in a statement:
“As expected, whooping cough cases are on the rise again, so it is important that pregnant women ensure they are vaccinated to protect their babies.”