More babies could die from whooping cough, expert warns

More babies will die from whooping cough unless vaccination rates go up to slow the spread of the infection, a leading expert has warned.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, consultant paediatrician and chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government, said Covid lockdowns may have impacted on the rise in cases, particularly in older children and adults.

But he said the “biggest issue” is actually low vaccination rates, particularly among pregnant women.

Figures for show 59.3% of pregnant women between October to December 2023 were vaccinated against whooping cough, almost 16% down on the same quarter in 2016/17.