Whooping cough: my daughter spent the third week of life in an induced coma
In this blog post, Jenny, from Hampshire, shares the story of her daughter Layla and her struggle with whooping cough at 3 weeks old.
From measles to malaria, how to keep you and your family healthy on holiday
Dr Shreya Singhal is a junior doctor working in West London, as well as being a keen backpacker. She has worked in Infectious Diseases and General Practice and shares her top tips for people looking to travel this summer. With lots …
I was a GP on the frontline of a whooping cough epidemic. Here is what I saw.
Doug Jenkinson was a Midlands GP for 37 years, during which time he made a special study of whooping cough and documented over 700 cases. The thing about whooping cough is that anyone can diagnose it once they have heard …
What is cryptosporidium, and how can you avoid it in the water or on the farm?
Cryptosporidium [pronounced krip-toe-spuh-RID-ee-um] is a microscopic parasite that can cause an unpleasant – and sometimes dangerous – illness called cryptosporidiosis. This nasty bug lives in the intestines of infected humans and animals and is passed out in their poo. It …
Should we be worried about the new COVID-19 variant?
With the emergence of the ‘XEC’ COVID-19 variant, some people are asking how this new lineage compares to other variants
Whooping cough: One mother's story of love, loss and action
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Children and Young people, immunisations, Uncategorized
Whooping cough cases (also known as the '100 day cough') are rising sharply across England. Between January and March 2024 there have sadly been 5 infant deaths. Vaccination is the best protection.
In this blog post, Catherine Hughes, Founding Director at The Immunisation Foundation of Australia, shares the story of her son Riley Hughes and how their family lost Riley to Whooping cough (pertussis)
What is UKHSA doing about antibiotic resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when medicines used to fight infections lose their effectiveness because the organisms they target – whether bacteria, fungi, viruses or parasites – have evolved or acquired adaptations to survive. In 2019, AMR was directly responsible for …
How to have a fun and healthy farm visit with the kids this Easter holiday
This blog post was reviewed and updated in April 2025. Visiting a farm is one of the most enjoyable and educational experience outdoor activities for kids, but it carries a risk of infection from animals or the environment. Farm animals …
How did singing and dancing pills raise awareness of antibiotic resistance?
In 2017, the Keep Antibiotics Working campaign targeted groups who were most likely to use antibiotics (mothers of children aged 0-16, and people aged over 50), and healthcare professionals dealing with patient care and prescribing. In this blog post, we look at a peer-reviewed study investigating the impact of the campaign.
How we work with partners to push the boundaries of vaccine R&D
As we release our Commercial Strategy, I wanted to reflect on the ways in which we partner with industry to drive greater innovations and better health outcomes. One unintended consequence of the response to COVID-19 was the suppression of many …