Whooping Cough (Pertussis): Important information you should know

In the first six months of life babies are vulnerable to infection with Whooping Cough as their immune system is not fully developed. Whooping cough can be life threatening to a new born baby and vaccination is the best way to prevent this infection.

Vaccination against whooping cough is important for all the community to protect against passing this potentially serious infection onto a new born baby. The whooping Cough vaccination is available from your General Practitioner. Pregnancy is a good time to remind all family members to check if their Whooping Cough vaccination is up to date. A Whooping Cough booster is usually given every 5 years and is often given with a tetanus booster.

Women planning a pregnancy should check to see if they need a Whooping Cough booster and a a single booster dose of the adult formulation Pertussis vaccine (dTpa) is recommended.
Alternatively,  dTpa one can be given to women in the last trimester of pregnancy or in the first few weeks after the baby is born by the GP. The whooping cough booster is also recommended for grandparents and carers of young children.

If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to ask or contact your GP for more information and to arrange your vaccination..
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