The HSE has issued new vaccine guidelines to protect very young infants in the wake of the ongoing whooping cough outbreak.

So far this year, the number of cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have doubled and two infant deaths from the condition have been reported.

The HSE has in recent days issued a new recommendation that pregnant women who have not received a pertussis-containing vaccine in the previous 10 years should be offered the Tdap (low dose tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis booster vaccine) between the seventh and eighth month of pregnancy.

Previously, the recommendation had been for pregnant women to receive the jab after 20 weeks gestation-however the new instruction to give the vaccine later in pregnancy is aimed at providing greater protection to the infant.

The new guidelines also state that the Tdap vaccine may also be offered to women later in pregnancy, although this may be less effective in protecting the infant than getting the vaccine earlier.

They also state that the vaccine may be offered in the week after delivery to those women who were not vaccinated during their pregnancy, although again, this may be less effective.

In a letter to GPs, the HSE says the timing of the whooping cough vaccination has been changed to enable protection of the very young infant via the maximum transfer of maternal antibodies, and is in line with recent recommendations in the UK and United States.

The new guidelines say siblings in the household of a premature baby should have all age-appropriate vaccinations including Tdap at 11-14 years.

The jab should also be offered to all adolescents and adult close family contacts with the infant who have not received a pertussis-containing vaccine in the previous 10 years. They should be offered the jab ideally two weeks before beginning close contact with the premature infant.

According to the latest HSE statistics, twelve cases of pertussis were reported in the week ending November 24, while in the year to date, 428 cases have been reported, compared to 205 for the same period last year.

Further information on whooping cough and the vaccine is available here

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