Fewer than three quarters of expectant mothers in some parts of Scotland have been vaccinated against whooping cough during pregnancy, according to figures obtained by the Herald. Health board data shows large regional variations in uptake during in the 12 months to the end of March this year, with coverage ranging from 73% in Tayside and Grampian to more than 95% in Orkney. Public Health Scotland is set to publish the latest weekly statistics on pertussis infections - better known as whooping cough - later today.
READ MORE: Explainer: What is whooping cough? Symptoms, history, who is at risk? Whooping cough outbreak 'will get worse', warns expert Two further cases of measles confirmed in Scotland It comes after data revealed that Scotland is in the grip of its biggest whooping cough outbreak in more than a decade, with 2,232 laboratory-confirmed cases up to May 13. This compares to 73 known infections during the whole of 2023. In England, five infants - all under three months old - died as a result of whooping cough between January and March this year.
In Scotland, there have been no recorded whooping cough deaths since 2015, but the current outbreak is expected to get worse over the coming months. Whooping cough is spread by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis, which is highly contagious. As a disease, it is more infectious than Covid and equally as infectious as measles.
A decline in vaccine coverage as well as a sharp fall in exposure to the disease during the pandemic has .
