Health authorities have issued an urgent plea for pregnant women in London to get vaccinated against whooping cough after figures showed that less than half of eligible women have received the jab.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data showed that 41.4 per cent of pregnant women in the capital had been vaccinated against the disease as of December 2022 - more than 20 per cent below the national average.
Coverage in London fell by 21.3 percentage points from December 2019 to December 2022, underlining the scale of the disruption to routine vaccinations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
North West London had the lowest vaccination coverage in the capital, with 39.3 per cent of pregnant women vaccinated at the end of December 2022.
Whooping cough can be a serious, life-threatening disease in young babies, usually requiring hospital treatment. The vaccine is given to pregnant women to help protect their babies from birth and during their first weeks of life.
A study published last year found the vaccine provided 89 per cent protection against hospitalisation and 97 per cent protection against death in babies.
Maternal vaccination was first introduced in 2012 due to very high rates of whooping cough.
Whooping cough is associated with difficulty breathing, and can lead to pneumonia, permanent brain damage and even death, particularly in infants under 6 months.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Whooping cough can be very serious for young babies, particularly under 6 months, and can lead to pneumonia, permanent brain damage and even death.
“That’s why it’s so important that all expectant mothers get the vaccine at the recommended time from 20 weeks, to give their babies the best protection from this serious and highly contagious disease.”
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: “Whooping cough can have serious consequences on the health of new born babies, and in some cases it can be life threatening.
“It’s really important we do what we can to protect the health of our babies, so I want to encourage all expectant mothers to come forward for the free whooping cough vaccine and give your baby the protection it needs.”
