First infant whooping cough death of year reported in UK

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

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the baby’s mother had not been vaccinated against whooping cough during her pregnancy.

It has been observed that it is the first fatal case of whooping cough reported in the UK this year, among the deaths that occurred between January and June 2025.

The recent data from the UK health agency suggests that none of the main childhood vaccines in England met the uptake target of 95%.

This continues a concerning decline that has been observed for over a decade.

Whooping cough is primarily a bacterial infection of the lungs which can be fatal specifically for babies.

It has been advised for pregnant women as well as infants and young children to get vaccinated against it.

The uptake among pregnant women currently stands at 72.6%.

The UKHSA says vaccination during pregnancy was introduced in late 2012 and is “key to passively protecting babies” in their first weeks of life.

Initially, infants are offered a jab which protects against whooping cough at eight weeks old.

UKHSA deputy director Dr Gayatri Amirthalingan shed light on the prime importance of vaccines, and the case was a reminder of “how severe whooping cough can be for very young babies.”

She further explained, “Vaccination is the best defense against whooping cough, and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks.”

The World's Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 95% of children should receive a vaccine to achieve herd immunity.  

The government has officially announced that all young children in the UK would be offered a free chickenpox vaccine by the NHS from January 2026.