Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 23 June (HL8243), what specific actions they are taking in response to the rise in whooping cough infections.

Significant efforts have been made to raise awareness of the importance of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, vaccination. These include targeted campaigns using social media, digital screen graphics, and community outreach. The National Health Service actively promotes vaccination for pregnant women to protect their newborns. NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency have launched a joint maternal vaccination campaign, supported by a comprehensive communications toolkit. This includes a maternal vaccine postcard translated into seven languages, which has been distributed to 200 general practices in areas with lower vaccine uptake.

To improve accessibility, community pharmacies in areas of high deprivation and low uptake are now commissioned to offer vaccinations, making it more convenient for individuals to get vaccinated.

Within the NHS, efforts are underway to enhance the recording and monitoring of vaccinations, ensuring accurate data collection to assess the programme’s effectiveness.

The NHS Public Health and Equalities team regularly produces articles that are shared through community and faith-based channels, including radio, podcasts, and local publications. Additionally, NHS England’s resources are disseminated through pregnancy and parenting forums such as Tommy’s and the National Childbirth Trust, as well as other community and faith organisations. These materials are used across websites, email newsletters, and social media platforms.

Recent data shows a consistent seven-month upward trend in maternal pertussis vaccination rates, rising from 59% in May 2024 to nearly 73% by March 2025.