There are surges in whooping cough cases every three to four years, in the UK. However, the current outbreak has affected nearly 10 times as many people as the previous outbreak in 2008.
The vaccine was introduced to protect newborn babies as they are the most vulnerable to the infection as they will not begin their childhood vaccines until two months of age. September 2012 was the start of a programme in the UK to protect pregnant women, including those previously immunised, who have been offered pertussis vaccination between 28 and 38 weeks of pregnancy.
This temporary vaccination programme aims to protect newborns with pertussis antibody, produced by their mother, in response to pertussis vaccination, until they are old enough to commence their routine childhood vaccinations
There are implications for those visiting pregnant mothers or newborn babies who may like to protect them by being immunised against whooping cough.
At the moment stocks are low of whooping cough vaccine, as most of the stock has been diverted towards pregnant women.
Here at The Travel Clinic Ltd we have limited stocks of boosterix, a vaccine containing diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough).