Whooping cough clinic to take place at Downe Hospital

Whooping cough clinic to take place at Downe Hospital

25 September 2024

ANOTHER whooping cough clinic is being held tomorrow morning at the Downe Hospital in Downpatrick as part of a new initiative being spearheaded by the South Eastern Trust.

Between 8.45am and 11.30am the vaccine will be available to pregnant women at the hospital’s maternity unit.

The move comes in response to a significant increase in whooping cough cases across Northern Ireland. 

New figures have revealed there have been 1,788 confirmed cases of whooping cough so far this year in Northern Ireland, compared with just two between 2021 and 2023.

The cough is a highly contagious and sometimes serious bacterial infection, which can make babies and young children in particular very ill.  

This increase highlights the need for enhanced vaccination efforts to protect vulnerable populations, particularly babies and young children.

Women can receive the vaccine from 16 weeks of pregnancy, with the ideal window being between 20 and 32 weeks.

However, the vaccine remains beneficial even if administered later in pregnancy. Pregnant women are encouraged to speak to their midwives to learn more about the vaccination process and its benefits.

In addition to the Whooping Cough vaccination at antenatal clinics, the vaccine is a key component of the childhood vaccination programme. 

It is administered to children at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age and again at three years and four months. Parents who are unsure if their child is up to date with vaccinations should check their child’s red book or consult with their Health Visitor or GP practice.

The vaccine will continue to be available through GP practices as well and no booking is required for tomorrow’s clinic at the Downe Hospital.

Health officials are advising parents to be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, which include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic ‘whoop’ sound in young children, and by a prolonged cough in older children or adults. It is also advisable to keep babies away from anyone showing the signs or symptoms of whooping cough.

Whooping cough can spread very easily with parents advised to call their GP practice or GP Out of Hours service before they go in person to help reduce it spreading to others but in an emergency dial 999.