The HSE Has Issued A Serious Warning To All Pregnant Women

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to all pregnant women to get the whooping cough vaccine following the death of a baby from whooping cough.

There was an outbreak of the disease in the Longford region where the death occurred, and those affected were mainly babies under two months who are too young to get the jab.

The HSE also confirmed to The Irish Independent that another baby was seriously unwell following the outbreak.

There has been a rise in whooping cough among newborns and a spokesperson for the Irish Medical Organisation said that the consequences can be extremely stressful for both baby and mother if the vaccine is not received.

The vaccine protects the babies' first couple of months of life and the ideal time to get the vaccine is between the 16 and 36 weeks' gestation period, however, it is still possible and recommended to get the vaccine after this period if it hasn't already been given.

The HSE are extremely informative about whooping cough and the vaccine and have put together a leaflet which outlines what it is, its symptoms and if you're eligible to get the vaccine.

You can also find more information here.