Nearly three-quarters of women who gave birth in September were vaccinated, helping to give their babies vital early protection.
- latest figures showed over 72% of pregnant women who gave birth in September were vaccinated against whooping cough, up from 64% last year and 58% in 2023
- coverage was 7.5 percentage points higher in July to September 2025 than the same quarter in 2024 after a major national outbreak that saw nearly 15,000 cases in 2024
- vaccination during pregnancy helps protect babies from birth until their first vaccine at 8 weeks
Newborn babies across England will be better protected from whooping cough as vaccination rates among pregnant women reach 72.9% in those delivering in September 2025.
New data released today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show vaccination coverage rose from 64.4% in the same period last year to 71.9% for women who gave birth between July and September 2025. Monthly rates increased steadily from 70.9% in July to 72.9% in September 2025.
The increase follows UKHSA calls for pregnant woman to come forward in light of falling vaccination rates and a large outbreak in 2024 when monthly whooping cough cases peaked at over 3,000 in May 2024.
Young babies are at highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough. 11 babies tragically died in England last year.
The whooping cough vaccine is offered to all pregnant women normally around the mid pregnancy scan at about 20 weeks. It can be given from week 16 and ideally by 32 weeks of pregnancy for optimal protection but can be given later if missed.
Evidence from England shows that vaccination at the right time in pregnancy is highly effective, giving 91% protection against infant death with whooping cough.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director for Immunisation at UKHSA, said:
While we're making excellent progress and the data published today reflects the tremendous efforts healthcare workers have made to ensure pregnant women are vaccinated, we want to ensure every expectant mother is offered the vaccine at the optimal time and understands that this vaccine is the best way to protect their baby during those crucial first weeks after birth.
If you are pregnant and approaching 20 weeks, and haven't been offered the whooping cough vaccine, please speak to your midwife or GP today to find out how you can get your vaccine.
UKHSA continues to urge all pregnant women to get vaccinated to help protect their babies from this serious illness.
Coverage varies significantly across the country. The South West achieved the highest rate at 78.9%, while London recorded 64.4%. However, London has seen substantial progress, with rates climbing from 35.5% in September 2023 to 65.1% in September 2025.
Whooping cough, clinically known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection which affects the lungs. The first signs of infection are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are typically worse at night. Young babies may also make a distinctive 'whoop' or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing, though not all babies make this noise which means whooping cough can be hard to recognise.
