HSE urges pregnant women to get whooping cough vaccine
Health Protection Surveillance Centre data shows that 85 cases of whooping cough — also known as pertussis — either confirmed or probable. File Picture: iStock
Pregnant women are being urged to get the whooping cough vaccine as case numbers for this year look set to match last year’s record tally.
There were over 539 cases last year, with 25% needing hospital care. Among hospital patients, 65.6% were babies aged less than five months.
The HSE warned on Tuesday that whooping cough tends to surge in cycles every five to six years.
Dr Chantal Migone, public health consultant at the HSE National Immunisation Office, said the vaccine is especially vital for pregnant women.
“Young babies are most vulnerable to whooping cough as they do not start their vaccinations against whooping cough until they are two months old," she said.
"This makes them particularly susceptible to serious complications, including respiratory distress, hospitalisation, and sadly, in some cases, death.”
There were no infant deaths last year, but eight people died between 2000 and 2025 in Ireland.
She said the vaccines mean "mothers not only protect themselves, but also pass on critical immunity to their baby”.
The vaccine is available for women at between 16-36 weeks of pregnancy and is free. It is available from GPs, according to Dr Scott Walkin from the Irish College of GPs.
In just the first seven weeks of this year, Health Protection Surveillance Centre data shows that 85 cases of whooping cough — also known as pertussis — either confirmed or probable. Some 16 needed hospital care, including five of the seven babies aged under five months old.
Paediatrician Dr Ciara Martin described babies she has treated.
“Babies with pertussis often struggle to breathe," she said. "Pertussis can also cause severe coughing fits which affect the babies’ ability to feed and sleep, and some infants will need intensive hospital care,” she said.
“The reality is that whooping cough can be life-threatening for young babies, yet a simple vaccine during pregnancy can provide them with vital protection from birth.”
Dr Martin, who is also HSE national clinical advisor for children and young people, said the vaccine has been proven “safe and effective for both mother and baby”.
