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THE HSE IS urging pregnant women to get the whooping cough vaccine following on from a spike in cases last year.
In a statement announcing the public campaign, the HSE said it wanted to remind pregnant women to protect themselves and their babies by getting the vaccine between 16 to 36 weeks of pregnancy.
Whooping cough – also known as pertussis – can be serious for many, with one in four who contracted whooping cough last year finding themselves hospitalised. Of those, just over two-thirds (65.6%) were infants aged 0-5 months.
It tends to surge in cycles every five to six years and last year saw a “record high for whooping cough, with over 539 confirmed cases”, a statement from the HSE said.
“The trend has continued into early 2025, with cases expected to rise further in the spring and summer months,” the HSE statement added.
“While no infant deaths from whooping cough were reported in 2024, tragically, in previous years, some young infants have died from the disease.”
The vaccine is available free of charge from GPs participating in the scheme.
The HSE said the immunity provided by the vaccine was one of the “most effective ways” to safeguard your baby’s health before they can receive their own vaccines later in their young lives.
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First-hand impact on babies
Dr Ciara Martin, Paediatrician and the HSE’s National Clinical Advisor for children and young people, highlighted the severe impact of whooping cough on new-borns and the importance of maternal vaccination.
“As a paediatrician, I have seen first-hand the impact whooping cough can have on very young babies,” Martin said.
“Babies with pertussis often struggle to breathe. Pertussis can also cause severe coughing fits which affect the babies’ ability to feed and sleep and some infants will need intensive hospital care.
“The reality is that whooping cough can be life threatening for young babies, yet a simple vaccine during pregnancy can provide them with vital protection from birth. The whooping cough vaccine given in pregnancy has been shown to be safe and effective for both mother and baby.”
Dr Chantal Migone, consultant in public health medicine at the HSE’s National Immunisation Office, emphasised the importance of vaccination for pregnant women to protect their infants.
“Young babies are most vulnerable to whooping cough as they do not start their vaccinations against whooping cough until they are two months old,” Migone said.
“This makes them particularly susceptible to serious complications, including respiratory distress, hospitalisation and sadly in some cases death.”
By getting vaccinated during pregnancy, Migone said that mothers “not only protect themselves but also pass on critical immunity to their baby, so that they are protected when they are born.
For more information about the whooping cough vaccine and the Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme, visit immunisation.ie or mychild.ie.
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