A spike in fatal whooping cough cases among babies has sparked fears a larger outbreak is looming.
This year already five babies aged under three months have died from the bacterial infection, and doctors are worried fatal could continue to rise.
Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia believes the worst whooping cough outbreak in 40 years is still to come, reports The Sun.
He said: “This current year looks like we may see more cases than we have seen in any of the last 40 years.”
Dr Saleyha Ahsan agrees. She told MailOnline: “There is, inevitably, a lag between deaths and official reported figures, so already, by mid-May, the number of deaths is thought to be higher.
“And with paediatric intensive care units now on ‘surge capacity’ because of both pertussis, and measles – which means in essence there are many cases – that number may well, tragically, rise.”
Whooping cough is a highly contagious infection, the symptoms of which can linger for weeks or months, which is why it is also known as the 100-day cough.
Pregnant women can be vaccinated against the illness, and pass on immunity to their vulnerable newborns, reports The Sun.
A drop in vaccination rates are one of the suspected reasons behind the spike in infections, although it’s believed three of the five mothers had the jab while pregnant.
The paper also reports that eight out of 10 infant whooping cough deaths since 2012 have been in babies born to unvaccinated mothers.
Reduced community transmissions during lockdown and lower population immunity are also believed to fuel the outbreak.