Help protect your newborn baby from whooping cough by getting the whooping cough vaccine whilst you are pregnant.

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It causes coughing and difficulty with breathing after a coughing bout. Coughing can cause babies to turn blue or grey. It spreads very easily and can be serious for babies. Some babies will become very unwell and need to go to hospital.

You can visit the NHS website for more information on whooping cough, including the signs and symptoms and treatment.

How can you protect your baby from whooping cough?

Whooping cough rates have been rising across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are the most at risk. Getting vaccinated while you are pregnant is very effective in preventing your baby from developing whooping cough in the first eight weeks of their life.

In this short video, Dr Angela Hancock, Consultant Midwife at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, explains why it is important for pregnant women to get vaccinated:

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When can I have the whooping cough vaccine?

You can have the whooping cough vaccine from 16 weeks pregnant (ideally between 16 and 32 weeks). You will need a new whooping cough vaccine every time you are pregnant.

Where can I receive the whooping cough vaccine?

There are lots of ways you can have a whooping cough vaccine. You can have it:

• At your GP practice
• When going for scans
• When attending other antenatal appointments.

Drop-in clinics are also available. There is no need to book an appointment at these clinics. Speak to your midwife about when and where they are.

Talk to your midwife or GP about getting vaccinated.

How does the whooping cough vaccine work?

The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta. It provides protection for your baby until they are old enough to be vaccinated against whooping cough at eight weeks old.

Is the whooping cough vaccine safe during pregnancy?

The whooping cough vaccine has been routinely used in pregnant women in the UK since October 2012. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) carefully monitors the ongoing safety of all medicines.

The MHRA’s study of around 20,000 vaccinated women published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found no evidence of risks to pregnancy or babies.

Where can I find out more about whooping cough and the whooping cough vaccine?

You can download our fact sheet which outlines what you need to know about whooping cough and how to protect your baby.

You can also visit the NHS website for more information on whooping cough, including the signs, symptoms and treatment.

Are there any other vaccines I should receive while pregnant?

Visit our page on Vaccinations for pregnant women which outlines the routine vaccinations that are advised in pregnancy.