Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. It spreads very easily through coughing and sneezing and can sometimes cause serious health problems, especially in young babies.

Whooping cough rates have risen sharply in recent months. Babies who are too young to start their vaccines are at greatest risk.

Young babies with whooping cough often become very unwell and most will be admitted to hospital. The disease can be very serious and may lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage. In the worst cases, it can cause death.

Timely vaccination in every pregnancy and in childhood are both important to protect vulnerable young infants from serious disease. It is essential to protect babies before they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves through vaccinating women in pregnancy.

When you have the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy, your body produces antibodies to protect against whooping cough. These antibodies pass to your baby through the placenta giving them high levels of protection until they're able to have their own whooping cough vaccination from 8 weeks old.

To provide the best protection women are offered whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, around the time of the mid-pregnancy scan (usually 20 weeks) and ideally before 32 weeks.

Mums-to-be can contact the Practice if they have reached week 20 of their pregnancy without being vaccinated or are unsure whether they have had the vaccine. You can still have the vaccine in late pregnancy, but it may not be as effective because there is less time for protection from the mother to pass to their baby.

Women can also receive the vaccine after delivery, for up to 8 weeks until their baby is old enough to get their first dose. This can help protect the mother from pertussis, reducing the chance that their baby will be exposed to the infection.

Whooping cough vaccine has been used extensively in pregnant women in the UK since October 2012. Vaccination of pregnant women has been shown to be around 90% effective in preventing whooping cough cases and hospital admissions in young babies and over 90% effective at preventing infant deaths.

A UKHSA review of vaccination in pregnancy to prevent whooping cough (pertussis) in early infancy, published in 2018, found safety studies covering more than 150 000 vaccinated women provide reassurance of no increased risk of problems in mothers or babies.

The whooping cough vaccine is given as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule in the UK at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age with a booster offered preschool.
This programme provides good protection against severe disease but protection after vaccination and disease will wane over time.

More information: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/whooping-cough-vaccination/

Published: Sep 30, 2024