Overview
- UK health officials released an audio clip of the tell‑tale “whoop” to help parents spot whooping cough and seek care quickly.
- Officials say the illness often starts like a cold and can turn into long, severe coughing fits that may cause vomiting, and some people do not make the classic sound.
- Babies who have not completed their shots face the highest risk, including breathing pauses, pneumonia, seizures, and in rare cases death.
- Authorities urge people to follow the updated schedule with baby doses at 8, 12, and 16 weeks, an early‑childhood booster, a new 18‑month dose for children born from July 2024, and vaccination in pregnancy from about 20 weeks.
- Cases jumped in 2024 and have since fallen, and experts note the disease peaks every three to five years with the recent rise linked to pandemic‑era gaps in exposure and immunity.