Call for pregnant women to get whooping cough jab

The UK Health Security Agency said there had been more than 10,000 cases of whooping cough since January

Pregnant women in East Yorkshire are being encouraged to get the whooping cough vaccination after a national rise in cases.

Nine babies have died from the disease in England since January, with infection rates continuing to increase, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Newborns have to wait eight weeks until they can be immunised, so the local NHS trust is offering the jab at drop in sessions at Hull Women and Children's Hospital.

Janet Cairns, the nurse in charge of vaccinations at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said the programme had been "hugely popular".

"We started in October last year and I think we've probably vaccinated over 600 women to date," Ms Cairns said.

She added: "The ideal time is 32 weeks because that's the opportune time for the antibodies to cross at the placenta and protect the baby."

The latest UKHSA figures for England show 2,427 cases in June, with a total of more than 10,400 since January.

Vaccination rates for pregnant women in the Humber and North Yorkshire stand at 73.2%, compared with the England average of 59.4%.

Janet Cairns said the vaccine protects babies until they can be immunised themselves

Mother-to-be Amy Louise Newell, who had the vaccination at the drop in session, said it was "really important for our baby".

"It's really easy and I didn't feel a thing and I know that it will help the baby to develop," she said.

"I'd hate to not have it and then for the baby to be really poorly and know that I could have done something to prevent them being poorly."

Amy Louise Newell said the vaccination was "really important for our baby"

According to NHS England, whooping cough - also known as pertussis - is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes.

It spreads very easily and can be serious.

The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat.

Some patients may make a "whoop" sound, a gasp for breath between coughs.

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