Baby dies of whooping cough with childhood vaccine rates at lowest level for 15 years

A baby under a year old has died of whooping cough this year, after their mother was not vaccinated during pregnancy.

This is the first death from the disease, officially called pertussis, so far this year.

The infant died between March and June 2025, government data shows.

Babies under a year old are too young to be vaccinated for the disease directly, but can receive protection in the womb if their mother is vaccinated during pregnancy.

After a vaccine for pregnant women was introduced in October 2012, deaths of infants confirmed to have whooping cough dropped by almost half, from 64 in the twelve years prior to 33 in the twelve years since.

Of the 33 babies who died after the vaccine was introduced, 27 had mothers who were not vaccinated during pregnancy, including the infant who d