Pregnant mothers encouraged to get vaccinated to prevent whooping cough in babies
With a rise in whooping cough cases in the West Midlands, Sandwell Council’s Public Health team calls for all pregnant mothers to
be vaccinated to protect their babies from this dangerous illness. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, can be a serious disease, potentially resulting in hospitalisation or even death. Babies are most at risk of developing severe illness. However, mothers vaccinated during pregnancy can help protect babies who are too young to be vaccinated themselves.
Pregnant mothers can get this free vaccine at their GP surgery. Only one dose of the vaccine is required but it is important to be vaccinated once per pregnancy. The protection a mother gets from the vaccine passes to their baby, protecting them until they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves (from eight weeks old). The whooping cough vaccine has been shown to be safe for both mothers and their babies. However, if anyone has any concerns about this vaccination, it is best to talk to your midwife or GP.
Liann Brookes-Smith, Sandwell’s Interim Director of Public Health, said: “Whooping cough can lead to serious ill health for infants. However, it is preventable in most cases. The vaccine ensures babies have high levels of protection against this dangerous illness. “The best time to get vaccinated is between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, but if mothers miss this date, they can still get it later in their pregnancy – although the sooner, the better.” Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, added: “It is really worrying to see that whooping cough cases have increased again regionally, especially when this has led to some babies being hospitalised. This illness can easily be prevented. I would urge everyone to help protect children by getting vaccinated when asked to.”