In a heartbreaking incident, a baby under one year old has died from whooping cough, with public health data revealing that the infant's mother was unvaccinated against the disease. This tragic case marks the first baby death attributed to whooping cough in the UK this year.

The baby unfortunately passed away between March and June, as reported by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Since vaccinations are typically administered at 12 months, the infant was too young to receive any immunizations, relying instead on herd immunity provided by vaccinated mothers and community members.

Since the introduction of whooping cough vaccines for pregnant women in October 2012, a staggering 33 babies have succumbed to the disease between 2013 and June 2025. Alarmingly, 27 of these babies, including this year’s tragic case, had mothers who did not receive the vaccine during pregnancy.

Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of the UKHSA, expressed her sorrow, stating, "Sadly, with a further infant death in the second quarter of 2025, we are again reminded how severe whooping cough can be for very young babies. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family who have so tragically lost their baby."

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a dangerous respiratory infection for infants due to their vulnerable immune systems. This incident has raised serious concerns about vaccination rates among children across England, especially as recent data indicates that none of the routine infant vaccinations were on target last year.

The NHS recently announced plans to roll out chickenpox vaccinations for infants, starting from January 2026—this vaccine will be included in the combined measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination for all children between 12 to 18 months. However, the rising cases of diseases like measles, highlighted by a recent death at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, emphasize the urgent need for improvements in vaccination coverage.

With public health professionals urging increased immunization rates, this tragic loss may serve as a wake-up call for the importance of vaccinations during pregnancy to protect our most vulnerable—newborns.