Baby dies from whooping cough in England
The UK Health Security Agency says the child is believed to have died sometime between March and June
A baby whose mother wasn't vaccinated against whooping cough has died after catching the infection.
It’s the first death linked to the virus in England this year.
The UK Health Security Agency says the child, thought to be under the age of one, died between March and June.
UKHSA deputy director Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, said:
"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."
The whooping cough death comes after the NHS announced it will roll out chickenpox vaccines to babies for the first time.
The vaccine against chickenpox, or varicella, will be added to the combined one for mumps, measles, and rubella from January 2026 and made available for all 12 to 18-month-olds.
Major concerns have been raised by health professionals over declining childhood vaccination rates, with data showing none of the routine infant jabs were on target in England last year.