Whooping cough outbreak continues

25 October 2012

According to figures published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) today, 1,322 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) were reported in England and Wales in September 2012, bringing the total number of cases so far this year to 6,121*.

The total number of cases so far in 2012 (up to end of September) is more than five times higher than the annual total number of cases reported in 2011 (1,118) and almost seven times higher than the total in 2008 (902) – the last ‘peak’ year before this current outbreak. In September there was one pertussis-related death in an infants under three months of age, bringing the total number of deaths in this age group so far this year to ten.

At the end of September, the Department of Health announced that pregnant women would be offered the whooping cough vaccination to protect their newborn babies, who are not usually vaccinated until between two and four months. The introduction of the vaccine programme in pregnant women will help to boost the short term immunity passed on by women to their babies while they are still in the womb.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the HPA, said: “We have been very concerned about the continuing increase in whooping cough cases and related deaths and welcome the urgent action recently taken by the Department of Health to introduce a vaccine for pregnant women.

“The introduction of a vaccine for pregnant women will not have an immediate impact on serious infection in infants so vigilance remains important. Working with the Department of Health we will continue to regularly monitor figures to evaluate the success of the programme.

“All parents should ensure their children are vaccinated against whooping cough on time, even babies of women who’ve had the vaccine in pregnancy – this is to continue their baby’s protection through childhood. Parents should also be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough – which include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic “whoop” sound in young children but as a prolonged cough in older children or adults. It is also advisable to keep babies away from older siblings or adults who have the infection.”

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, affects all ages. Young infants are at highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough as babies do not complete vaccination until they are around four months old. In older children and adults whooping cough can be an unpleasant illness but it does not usually lead to serious complications. Whooping cough is a highly infectious bacterial disease which spreads when a person with the infection coughs and sheds the bacteria which is then inhaled by another person.

Ends

Notes to editors

1. The 6,121* total of laboratory confirmed whooping cough cases reported to the HPA are provisional. These provisional numbers reflect the total cases which have been tested and then confirmed as positive. In some instances, for example in an outbreak situation, the HPA may not necessarily receive samples for testing from every suspected case and therefore the true number of confirmed cases may be higher.

2. Pregnant women will be offered whooping cough vaccination between 28 and 38 weeks of pregnancy. The HPA has developed a Q&A about the pertussis vaccination programme for healthcare workers.   

More information for pregnant women is available from the NHS Choices website [external link]

3. Annual laboratory confirmed cases of pertussis in England and Wales since 2008:
2012 – 6,121* cases (to end of September)
2011 - 1,118 cases
2010 - 422 cases 2009 - 719 cases
2008 - 902 cases

4. Provisional number of confirmed cases of pertussis by region in England and Wales, 2008 to end September 2012: 

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
EAST MIDLANDS	56	45	20	79	758
EAST OF ENGLAND	63	48	18	69	690
LONDON	78	71	36	62	451
NORTH EAST	38	17	35	54	246
NORTH WEST	80	78	51	73	380
SOUTH EAST	144	123	50	118	1221
SOUTH WEST	125	93	48	89	1006
WALES	21	26	8	37	185
WEST MIDLANDS	67	40	14	41	435
YORKSHIRE & HUMBER	53	45	34	45	749
Total	725	586	314	667	6121

5. Provisional number of confirmed cases of pertussis, England and Wales, 2008 to 2012 by age group,

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
<3 months	157	98	45	135	350
3-5 months	36	23	7	22	72
6-11 months	8	4	3	7	26
1-4 years	22	20	7	11	66
5-9 years	16	21	12	14	121
10-14 years	118	83	38	69	579
15+ years	368	337	202	409	4907
Grand Total	725	586	314	667	6121

6. For more general information and data on whooping cough (pertussis) visit: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/WhoopingCough/  or http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/whooping-cough/Pages/Introduction.aspx [external link] 

7. The Health Protection Agency’s Guidelines for the Public Health Management of Pertussis can be found on the website. These are being updated: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/WhoopingCough/Guidelines/

8. The Health Protection Agency is an independent UK organisation that was set up by the government in 2003 to protect the public from threats to their health from infectious diseases and environmental hazards. In April 2013 the Health Protection Agency will become part of a new organisation called Public Health England, an executive agency of the Department of Health. To find out more, visit our website: www.hpa.org.uk or follow us on Twitter @HPAuk or ‘Like’ us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthProtectionAgency

9. For more information please contact the national HPA press office at Colindale on 0208 327 7901 or email colindale-pressoffice@hpa.org.uk. Out of hours the duty press officer can be contacted on 0208 200 4400.

 

Last reviewed: 25 October 2012