British baby dies from whooping cough as vaccination rates fall | Whooping cough

A baby in the UK died of cough cough this year, marking the first death in the country.

The baby’s mother was not vaccinated against high infectious disease affecting the lungs and airways. This death occurred because vaccine rates between children in England and pregnant women have fallen to the lowest levels in 15 years.

Feces cough or pertussis may be fatal for infants with the highest risk of disease or death. The child, who is thought to be under one year of age, became ill according to the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA), responsible for protecting the public from infectious diseases and other threats, and died between March and June this year. Last month, he follows the death of a child from the measles at the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and the deaths of 11 children in England after the coughing of those who cough.

UKHSA Deputy Director Dr Gayatri Ardhalingam said: “Unfortunately, in the second quarter of 2025, we reminded that with another infant death, we reminded how severe cough for very young babies.

The agency warned last week that vaccine rates for primary school children were at the lowest level for 15 years. Almost one of the five children who started primary school in the UK this week is not fully protected from diseases, including pertussis, children’s paralysis, tetanus and diphtheria. This puts the UK far below the 95% threshold for herd immunity for all childhood vaccines of the World Health Organization.

Only 83.7% of the five-year-olds were vaccinated at both doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), while the intake of pre-school booster vaccine-child paralysis, deceiving cough, tetanus and diphtheria-England stopped at 81.4% at 81.4%.

As of next year, NHS will combine all the babies against Suiçpoks or chickenpox by combining measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine on a new MMRV.

Vaccination rates among pregnant women for cough reached a summit of 76% in 2016, but fell to 59% until March last year. Since death last year, vaccination rates between mothers rose to 73%, but are still under the summit.

“It has never been so important to ensure that women are vaccinated during pregnancy,” Amirthalingam said. “Vaccination is the best defense against cough, and it is vital for pregnant women and young babies to take vaccines at the right time, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks.

“The last increase in pertussis vaccine among pregnant women throughout the country shows that more mothers have taken steps to protect their newborns. We want to ensure that every expected mother offers the vaccine at the most appropriate time, and this vaccine understands that this vaccine is the best way to protect their babies in these important weeks after birth.

“If you are pregnant and you are approaching 20 weeks and have not been offered to have a cough vaccine, please talk to GP or your midwife today to find out how to get your vaccine.”