GPs and Public Health Advisors in Somerset are urging all pregnant women to have the whooping cough vaccination and parents ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease on time.
The call comes as figures published by the Health Protection Agency show that in the first ten months of this year there were 53 infant cases of whooping cough in Somerset compared with just six cases during the last "peak" year of 2008.
This trend is reflected nationally, with almost 8,000 cases of whooping cough confirmed for England and Wales this year - a figure which is nearly ten times higher than for the same period in 2008 when 797 cases were reported. 2
Young infants can be at the highest risk from whooping cough with severe complications even leading to death.
Julie Yates, Public Health Consultant with NHS Somerset, said: "Getting vaccinated while you're pregnant should help to protect your baby from developing whooping cough in his or her first few weeks of life.
"The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta. Babies are not vaccinated against whooping cough until they are two months old.
"We also strongly recommend all women make sure their children receive their whooping cough vaccinations on time. Parents need to be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough. These include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic "whoop" sound in young children".
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. It spreads when a person with the infection coughs and sheds the bacterium which is then inhaled by another person.
The condition usually begins with a persistent dry and irritating cough which progresses to intense bouts of coughing. These are followed by a distinctive 'whooping' noise, which is how the condition gets its name.
Other symptoms include a runny nose, raised temperature and vomiting after coughing.
The coughing can last for around three months
In older children and adults whooping cough can be an unpleasant illness, and often present itself as a prolonged cough, however it does not usually lead to serious complications.
If pregnant women or parents have questions about the whooping cough vaccine they should talk to their family doctor or they can obtain further information from: www.nhs.uk
The call comes as figures published by the Health Protection Agency show that in the first ten months of this year there were 53 infant cases of whooping cough in Somerset compared with just six cases during the last "peak" year of 2008.
This trend is reflected nationally, with almost 8,000 cases of whooping cough confirmed for England and Wales this year - a figure which is nearly ten times higher than for the same period in 2008 when 797 cases were reported. 2
Young infants can be at the highest risk from whooping cough with severe complications even leading to death.
Julie Yates, Public Health Consultant with NHS Somerset, said: "Getting vaccinated while you're pregnant should help to protect your baby from developing whooping cough in his or her first few weeks of life.
"The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta. Babies are not vaccinated against whooping cough until they are two months old.
"We also strongly recommend all women make sure their children receive their whooping cough vaccinations on time. Parents need to be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough. These include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic "whoop" sound in young children".
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. It spreads when a person with the infection coughs and sheds the bacterium which is then inhaled by another person.
The condition usually begins with a persistent dry and irritating cough which progresses to intense bouts of coughing. These are followed by a distinctive 'whooping' noise, which is how the condition gets its name.
Other symptoms include a runny nose, raised temperature and vomiting after coughing.
The coughing can last for around three months
In older children and adults whooping cough can be an unpleasant illness, and often present itself as a prolonged cough, however it does not usually lead to serious complications.
If pregnant women or parents have questions about the whooping cough vaccine they should talk to their family doctor or they can obtain further information from: www.nhs.uk
