March saw the highest rate of the potentially “dangerous” disease called whooping cough in a decade, Public Health Wales warned. Statistics revealed there were more cases in Wales in one week of March 2024 than the whole of 2021 and 2022 combined. Pregnant women and those with young children are being urged to get a vaccine as the disease, also known as the 100-day cough, continues to spread in the community.

Public Health Wales figures show there were 55 reported cases of whooping cough in 2021, 55 in 2022, and 199 in 2023. But in the four weeks from 4 March there were 315 cases. This included 122 cases in a single week, starting 11 March – more than 2021 and 2022 combined. And the actual numbers are likely far higher, as many cases go unreported.