Jab warning as whooping cough rises

NHS CALLS ON PREGNANT WOMEN AND PARENTS TO TAKE ACTION AS CASES SOAR

- HELENA VESTY

GREATER Manchester NHS leaders are calling on pregnant women and young children to take action as cases of whooping cough rise – and can have catastrophic effects, even death, on those who aren’t protected.

Whooping cough cases are continuing to spike in Greater Manchester. Since the beginning of 2024, Greater Manchester has seen the number of whooping cough cases steadily increasing, with 400 probable and 126 possible.

The rise comes as the number of pregnant women and children under five who are fully vaccinated has plummeted over the years, hitting immunity levels. Over the past 10 years the number of children in Greater Manchester receiving all of their whooping cough vaccinations and boosters by the age of five has fallen from 97.5 per cent in 2012-2013 to an average of 81.82 per cent at the end of 2023.