What is whooping cough (pertussis)?
Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is a highly contagious illness that can be life-threatening. The disease is most serious in babies less than 6 months of age - many babies are hospitalised with complications such as pneumonia and brain damage.
Babies less than 6 months of age are too young to be fully vaccinated.
Back to top
What are the symptoms of whooping cough?
Whooping cough causes long bouts of coughing and choking making it hard to breathe. The 'whoop' sound is caused by gasping for air between coughing spells. A child with whooping cough may turn blue from lack of air, or vomit after a coughing spell.
Not all children get the 'whoop' and often older children and adults just have a cough.
The disease can last up to three months.
Infection with whooping cough does not give long-lasting protection so re-infections can happen.
Back to top
How does whooping cough spread?
Whooping cough is spread from person to person by coughing, sneezing or close contact.
Someone with whooping cough can spread the disease for up to three weeks after the start of the cough.
Many babies who get whooping cough have been in contact with family members who have had a cough for longer than 2 weeks.
Back to top
How can whooping cough be prevented?
THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT WHOOPING COUGH IS BY VACCINATION
Whooping cough vaccine is offered free to all pregnant women between 16-36 weeks of pregnancy.
Back to top
Can the vaccine give me whooping cough?
No. The vaccine cannot give you whooping cough because it does not contain any live bacteria.
Back to top
How does getting the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy protect me and my baby?
The vaccine stimulates your immune system to produce high levels of antibodies to the whooping cough bacteria. These antibodies will also pass to your baby in the womb and protect them during the first few months of life.
It is now known that babies whose mothers got the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy are much less likely to get whooping cough during the first months of life.
Back to top
I was vaccinated against whooping cough as a child, do I need to get vaccinated again?
Yes. It is very important that you get vaccinated in pregnancy. The vaccine you have while you are pregnant is to protect your baby.
Back to top
When should I get the vaccine?
You can get the whooping cough vaccine between 16-36 weeks of your pregnancy.
While the vaccine can be given after 36 weeks, it may be less effective.
Back to top
When should vaccination be postponed?
There are very few reasons why vaccination should be postponed. Vaccination should be rescheduled if you have an acute illness with a temperature greater than 38°C.
Back to top
What is the name of the whooping cough vaccine given in pregnancy?
The vaccine given in pregnancy to protect against whooping cough is called the Tdap vaccine. This is a low dose tetanus (T), diphtheria (d) and acellular pertussis (ap) booster vaccine which protests against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (pertussis).
Back to top
Do I need to get the whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy?
Yes. The antibodies you develop after vaccination decline over time. This means you need to get the vaccine in each pregnancy so that you can again produce the antibodies which will to pass to your baby in your womb.
Back to top
What can I expect following vaccination?
You may get soreness or redness around the injection site. You may experience a mild generalised reaction of fever and fatigue for up to 48 hours after receiving the vaccine.
Back to top
What if I don't feel well after vaccination?
If you have a temperature after the vaccine, take paracetamol, as it is safe in pregnancy, and it's important for you and your baby to avoid fever.
Do not take ibuprofen or aspirin (unless advised by your obstetrician). Remember if you are unwell after getting a vaccine, it could be for some other reasons - don't assume it's the vaccine and seek medical advice if needed.
Back to top
Is it safe for pregnant women to be vaccinated?
Yes. The vaccine is safe for pregnant women. Whooping cough vaccine is recommended for pregnant women in the UK, US, New Zealand and
Australia.
This whooping cough vaccine has been studied in pregnant women and no risk has been found. Reactions are generally mild and serious side effects are very rare.
Back to top
Is there anyone who cannot get the whooping cough vaccine?
The vaccine should not be given to:
- those with a history of a severe allergic (anaphylaxis) reaction to a previous dose of whooping cough vaccine or any part of the vaccine.
It is not recommended:
- if there is a history of a severe local reaction to a previous dose. You should not get a tetanus or diphtheria containing vaccine more often than every 10 years if you have a severe local reaction.
Back to top
My baby was premature so what can I do?
Ensuring you are vaccinated as soon as possible after 16 weeks of pregnancy will mean your baby will have time to receive some protective antibodies even if they are born early. If you get the vaccine less than two weeks before birth, antibodies may not have passed to your baby in sufficient quantities, but it will reduce the risk of you infecting your baby with pertussis.
You can also protect your premature baby from pertussis by:
- making sure other children in the house are fully vaccinated.
- making sure all adults in the house get a whooping cough vaccine if they haven’t had one in the last 10 years. Ideally they should get the vaccine 2 weeks before contact with the baby.
Back to top
I have been vaccinated during pregnancy, does my baby still need to be given the whooping cough vaccine?
Yes. The antibodies you pass to your baby in the womb decline rapidly in the first six months of life. Therefore it is important your baby gets the routine childhood vaccines (which include whooping cough vaccine) on time.
Whooping cough vaccine is offered to all children
- as part of the 6 in 1 vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age.
- for babies born on or after 1st October 2024 they receive an additional dose of the 6 in 1 at 13 months.
- at 4-5 years of age (4 in 1 vaccine)
- in 1st year of second level school (Tdap vaccine)
When you child gets these vaccinations on time they continue to be protected against whooping cough.
Back to top
How do I get vaccinated?
Contact your GP to arrange for vaccination.
Whooping cough vaccination is available free of charge to pregnant women in General Practice.
Back to top
More information
The following information materials are available to download below
Leaflet
- English (252kb)
- Leaflet in Irish is under review
Poster
Information for healthcare professionals are below
Back to top
This page was updated on 20 January 2025
