Scotland hit by worst whooping cough outbreak in over a decade

SCOTLAND has experienced a massive surge in whooping cough cases, according to newly released figures.

Provisional data released by Public Health Scotland (PHS) indicates that 2,232 laboratory-confirmed cases of pertussis – better known as whooping cough – had been detected in Scotland by May 13.

This compares to a total of 73 known cases in the whole of 2023, of which some 56 were reported in October to December.

It comes after health officials confirmed that an outbreak of the disease in England has claimed the lives of five infants so far this year, all of whom were under three months old.

PHS said it would be updating its pertussis statistics on a weekly basis, every Thursday, in light of ongoing concerns about the spread of infections.

Its next quarterly report on infectious diseases, covering January to March, is due to be published on June 4.

The provisional data suggests that

Scotland is currently in the grip of its worst wave of pertussis cases in more than a decade.

The last major outbreak of whooping cough in Scotland occurred between 2012 and 2013, with 1,896 and 1,188 lab-confirmed cases respectively in each year.

Prior to the pandemic, there were

533 cases in 2017; 443 in 2018; and 746 in 2019.

A dip in vaccination uptake and a drop in exposure during the pandemic has been blamed for the current surge in cases.

During 2021 and 2022, there were just seven confirmed cases in total, and 198 in 2020 – mostly prior to lockdown.

Pregnant women are offered the fourin-one vaccine – which includes pertussis – in order to pass antibodies on to babies in the womb.

This protects newborns until they are old enough to be vaccinated.

Infants are vaccinated at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age, with a booster when they are three years old.

Dr Sam Ghebrehewet, head of Immunisation and Vaccination at Public Health Scotland, said: “Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that causes long bouts of coughing.

“Initially it starts with mild respiratory symptoms, progressing to a prolonged cough, and the cough may occur in prolonged episodes and be preceded by a strong in-drawing of breath heard as a ‘whoop’.

“In young children this can present as vomiting.

“It is usually self-limiting but can cause severe illness and death, particularly in young un-immunised children.

“The infection is spread by respiratory droplets, either directly between people or through contaminated items.

“Babies under one year of age are most at risk from whooping cough.

“Whooping cough can be prevented with immunisation which is given to infants, younger children and pregnant women.”

Dr Ghebrehewet added: “The whooping cough vaccine is offered to pregnant women to help protect their baby against the infection.

“Getting immunised during pregnancy is the best way to protect the baby in the first few vulnerable weeks of their life until they’re old enough to have the routine immunisation at eight weeks of age.”

Whooping cough is caused by the bacteria, Bordetella pertussis.

Before the pertussis vaccine was added the routine schedule of childhood vaccinations in Britain during the 1950s, there were around 150,000 known cases per year and more than 300 deaths.

According to the most recent quarterly data for Public Health Scotland, uptake for one-year-olds of the pertussis vaccine – included in the six-in-one inoculation – was 94.9% as of September 2023.

This has fallen steadily from a peak of nearly 98% in December 2014.

Among the mainland boards, coverage was lowest in the Scottish Borders, at 91.5%, and 91.8% in the Highland region, where there has been controversy over the transfer of vaccine delivery from GP practices to health board teams.

For Scotland as a whole, just 90.1% of five-year-olds had received their booster jag against pertussis, the lowest coverage at any point in the past decade.

Getting immunised during pregnancy is the best way to protect the baby in the first few vulnerable weeks of life