PHARMACISTS are warning of shortages of whooping cough antibiotics as the UK faces the biggest outbreak in over a decade. Five infants have died of the highly contagious illness between January and March, with confirmed cases this year more than triple the total for the whole of 2023. Dr Leyla Hannbeck of the Independent Pharmacies Association said some pharmacists are being forced to send patients away empty-handed as they struggle to get enough of the drugs into their stores.
An order form seen by Sun Health shows wholesaler shortages of clarithromycin, a common antibiotic used to treat whooping cough in babies and children. "We have had an ongoing problem with the supply of common antibiotics for two years now, and this current epidemic of whooping cough is putting an additional strain on supplies," Dr Leyla said. "While the shortage isn't widespread, there are sporadic problems getting hold of these drugs in pockets across the country.
"No-one wants to send a mother and a child home without antibiotics," she told the Mail On Sunday . Known the "100-day cough" - because of how long it persists - the bug can be particularly serious for babies and infants. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) previously warned of a steady decline in uptake of the vaccine in pregnant women and children.
Nearly 3,000 cases were confirmed in the first three months of this year, compared to 858 in all of 2023. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, previously war.
