British baby dies from whooping cough as vaccination rates fall

Almost one in five children starting primary school this week in England are not fully protected from diseases including whooping cough, polio, tetanus and diphtheria. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

A baby in the UK has died from whooping cough, marking the first such death in the country this year.

The infant’s mother had not been vaccinated against the highly infectious disease, which affects the lungs and airways. This death occurred as vaccination rates among children and pregnant women in the UK have fallen to their lowest levels in 15 years.