Urgent warning issued to parents as cases of dreaded '100-day cough' surge

Health experts in Ireland have issued an urgent warning as cases for the "100-day cough" continue to rise.

Over 500 cases of Pertussis (whooping cough) have been identified in Ireland in 2024 with 402 cases confirmed. Numbers have been lower in the years prior due to the pandemic.

Pertussis is a serious illness and can be quite dangerous in young children and infants, with symptoms lasting up to three months, hence the nickname the "100-day cough".

According to the HSE, the disease causes long bouts of coughing and choking in children making it hard to breathe.

Worryingly, the child may turn blue from lack of air, or vomit after a coughing spell. Between these coughing spells a child gasps for air causing the characteristic ‘whoop’ sound. Not all children get the ‘whoop’. A child with whooping cough can have difficulty eating, drinking or even breathing.

The disease can last up to three months. Whooping cough is most serious in babies under 12 months of age, often requiring admission to hospital and may be fatal.

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The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) issued this urgent warning last week:

"Pertussis (whooping cough) is a serious illness, especially in young children. Young infants are at highest risk of severe complications.

"There have been 514 cases of pertussis in 2024 in Ireland including 402 confirmed, 59 probable and 53 possible cases. This is compared with very low numbers in recent years due to the pandemic (2021 – 5 cases, 2022 – 7 cases, 2023 – 18 cases).

"Cycles of increased pertussis typically occur every five years. We last saw high numbers of cases in 2016 and 2017. Therefore, considering the impact of the pandemic, it is not unexpected to see this increase in 2024. Similar increases are being seen across Europe.

"Since mid-2023, several EU countries have reported an increase in the number of pertussis cases notified. This increase has continued into 2024, and some countries have reported pertussis-related deaths.

"As of 12th September, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported there have been 12,200 laboratory confirmed pertussis cases between January and July 2024. In Northern Ireland, between 1st January 2024 to 22nd September, there have been 2,949 confirmed pertussis cases.

"Amongst the 514 cases notified in Ireland to date in 2024, children predominate with:

• 101 cases (20%) in the 0–5 month age group (i.e. too young to have received their full three dose primary immunisation course)
• 87 cases (17 %) aged 1-2 years, 53 cases (10%) aged 5-9 years and 53 (10%) aged 10-14 years

"One hundred and fifty three of the 514 cases (30%) were hospitalised including 68 of the 101 cases (67%) in infants aged 0-5 months.

"The best way to protect against pertussis is vaccination. In Ireland, pertussis containing vaccines are offered as part of national immunisation programmes.

"Information on immunisation is available from the National Immunisation Office website at www.immunisation.ie."