A baby has died from whopping cough in Co Longford following an outbreak of the disease affecting 11 children.
This was confirmed by the HSE, who also said another baby was seriously unwell with the condition.
The infants who fell ill with the highly contagious illness were mainly under two months of age, meaning they are all too young to be given the vaccine.
The Irish Medical Organisation said to Independent.ie we are seeing a rise in whooping cough among newborns, and are therefore reminding all pregnant women to make sure they are getting the jab, as it gives babies protection in the first months of life.
As for when to get the vaccine, the organisation’s spokesperson, Dr Padraig McGarry, says the ideal time to receive the jab is between 16 and 36 weeks’ gestation.
Dr McGarry warns whooping cough is highly contagious and “incredibly distressing for both baby and mother and the consequences for a young baby can be very serious, even fatal”.
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