The HSE South West is urging pregnant women in the county to vaccinate themselves against whooping cough.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection that causes breathing difficulties and is particularly severe in infants and young children.
HSE South West is encouraging pregnant women across the county to protect themselves and their babies by getting the whooping cough vaccine between 16 to 36 weeks of pregnancy.
The vaccine is available free of charge from participating GPs and provides vital immunity for newborn babies during their earliest and most vulnerable months of life.
Whooping cough tends to surge in cycles every five to six years and 2024 saw a record high for the infection, with over 539 confirmed cases.
Last year, one in four cases (25.9%) were hospitalised. Of those, just over two-thirds (65.6%) were infants aged 0-5 months. While no infant deaths from whooping cough were reported in 2024, tragically, in previous years, some young infants have died from the disease.
Dr Treasa Kelleher, Consultant in Public Health Medicine with HSE South West is advising all pregnant women to get their whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine during the recommended window of pregnancy (16-36 weeks), stating:
“Getting vaccinated during pregnancy helps protect both the mother and baby. Mothers pass on immunity to their baby, giving them protection from birth until they are old enough to have protection from their own infant vaccines”.
