Whooping cough outbreak continues

The current whooping cough outbreak in Ireland shows no signs of easing off, according to the HSE.

The HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in an update on the outbreak, says between January 1 and July 20 this year, 252 whooping cough (pertussis) cases have been notified, a trebling of cases compared to the same period last year.

Nearly half of all cases reported this year to date have occurred in the east and north-west of the country, according to the HPSC.

Of the 151 cases in which vaccination status was reported, nearly half of the children in the two to-five month age group were unvaccinated.

The HPSC says while there is increasing evidence from Ireland and other western countries of an increase in whooping cough cases, believed to be related to reduced immunity in older previously vaccinated children and adults, it is clear that vaccination is still the best way to protect against whooping cough.

The HSE says all children should be vaccinated on time at two, four and six months of age against whooping cough, and all children should have a booster dose at four to five years and 11 to 14 years.

Find out more about necessary child vaccinations and when they are due with our Child Immunisation Tracker

Find out more about child vaccinations here

New whooping cough vaccine 'ineffective'

[Posted: Sat 04/08/2012]