Pregnant women reminded to get vaccinated

Pregnant women reminded to get vaccinated

Pregnant women in Rochdale are being reminded to get vaccinated as cases of whooping cough are expected to rise over the summer months.

Latest figures published today by Public Health England (PHE) show a sustained fall in the numbers of whooping cough cases this year. Cases in babies under one year also remained low.

However, immunisation experts are reminding pregnant women of the importance of having the whooping cough vaccine, especially during the summer months when cases of whooping cough are normally expected to rise. Sadly, one baby under two months of age has already died this year in the UK from the disease.

In Greater Manchester a total of 33 cases have been confirmed since May, four of these cases have been babies under the age of three months old. However, in previous years whooping cough cases have more than doubled in the months following May so it is vital that pregnant women get vaccinated to protect their babies.

Graham Munslow, Greater Manchester’s immunisation and screening manager said:
“It is encouraging to see cases of whooping cough continuing to fall, especially in babies under 3 months of age who are at highest risk of the most serious complications from the disease.

“Last year’s successful vaccination campaign contributed to the fall in whooping cough cases and we are now approaching the time of year when we would normally expect to see cases of whooping cough begin to increase. It is therefore crucial that pregnant women continue to get vaccinated to provide their babies with protection until they are old enough to have their routine vaccines.”

The whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women was introduced by the Department of Health in October 2012 following a record 9,368 cases of whooping cough in England last year. Latest figures up to March 2013 show that around 57% of women are having the vaccine, which is offered between weeks 28 and 38 of pregnancy.