Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy can protect your newborn from day one.
Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is a highly infectious bacterial disease that causes severe coughing fits. In adults, the symptoms can be mild. In babies whooping cough can cause serious health problems.
Studies have found that the whooping cough vaccine is safe during pregnancy for both the mother and baby.
Giving the vaccine at this stage in pregnancy means that you will pass on whooping cough antibodies to your growing baby before birth. This gives the baby protection after birth until they receive their own whooping cough vaccine at 6 weeks of age.
Read more information in the Whooping cough (pertussis) fact sheet.
Yes. The vaccine is safe for both the pregnant woman and baby when given during pregnancy. Studies with more than 40,000 pregnant women from the United States and the United Kingdom, found only mild side effects such as pain or redness in the arm where the vaccine was given. The vaccine doesn’t increase the risk of serious pregnancy complications such as premature delivery.
Talk to your doctor today about getting a free whooping cough vaccine. The whooping cough vaccine is usually given to pregnant women at 28 weeks of each pregnancy (can be given anytime between 20-32 weeks). In pregnant women who have been identified as being at high risk of early delivery, the vaccine should be given as early as possible (from 20 weeks).
The immunity you get from the whooping cough vaccine fades over time. To boost protection, pregnant woman should receive a vaccine during each pregnancy.
Partners, grandparents and adults who have contact with babies and who have not had a whooping cough vaccine in the last 10 years should talk to their doctor. The vaccine should be given at least 2 weeks before they have contact with your baby.
Make sure your other children are up to date with their childhood vaccines. On time vaccination is your child’s best protection against serious diseases.
Visit On time childhood vaccination to find out more about the vaccines recommended for your family
The vaccines recommended in pregnancy influenza, pertussis, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine are safe and effective for you and your baby.
After you are vaccinated, your antibodies will pass to your growing baby before birth.
You can book a vaccine appointment through your:
Discuss your vaccine recommendations with your healthcare provider.
Read more information about childhood vaccinations.
Free pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine is available for all pregnant women. Two pertussis vaccines are provided free under the National Immunisation Program: Adacel and Boostrix. Both vaccines are suitable to be administered in pregnancy.
Antenatal pertussis vaccination protects newborns before they can have their own vaccinations from 6 weeks of age. Studies show that it is more than 90 per cent effective in preventing pertussis in infants.
What is the recommendation for women who have received a pertussis vaccine prior to their current pregnancy?
Women should receive a pertussis vaccine with every pregnancy, even if pregnancies are closely spaced. It is preferable to leave at least 12 months between doses of a pertussis containing vaccine (for example, Boostrix or Adacel) as the risk of a local reaction to the vaccine (pain, swelling or both at the injection site) increases with multiple doses, particularly if given close together in time.
The whooping cough vaccine is usually given to pregnant women at 28 weeks (can be given anytime between 20-32 weeks). The vaccine should be given as early as possible (from 20 weeks) to women who have been identified as being at high risk of early delivery.
If a woman has received a dose of pertussis vaccine in the months prior to falling pregnant, the pregnancy dose can be given later than 28 weeks in the third trimester to maximise the time between doses while still boosting immune levels to pass onto the baby.
What if a woman has previously been given dTpa (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) vaccine earlier in her pregnancy?
Although 20-32 weeks is the optimal time for vaccination, if a woman has received dTpa vaccine in the first or early second trimester, she does not need to be vaccinated again in her current pregnancy or in the post-natal period.
What if a woman is given a tetanus booster (ADT) during pregnancy?
If a woman has received an ADT vaccination (for a wound) it is still important that she have a dTpa vaccination to provide whooping cough protection for her newborn. It is preferable to leave at least 4 weeks between the ADT and the dTpa.
Do infants of pregnant women who receive pertussis vaccine during pregnancy require an 18-month and 4-year booster dose?
Pertussis vaccination is recommended for all infants in a 5-dose schedule at 6 weeks, 4, 6 and 18 months, and 4 years of age. The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends that ALL children receive a booster dose at 18 months and 4 years of age. This is due to the waning immunity observed in all infants after receiving the infant doses.
