The whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy: what you need to know
Polly Logan-Banks
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All pregnant women are advised to get the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy, to protect their babies after the birth. But is the injection really safe? When should you have it? Does it hurt? We answer all the most common questions about the whooping cough vaccine.
Why do I need the whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy?
The vaccine is recommended to all pregnant women, because it will help to protect your baby from catching whooping cough after they're born.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a potentially serious illness, which can sadly even be fatal in young babies.
When you get the vaccination during pregnancy, you develop immunity to the condition, which is passed on to your baby through the placenta.
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Newborns aren't able to safely have their own whooping cough vaccination until their eight week vaccinations. So between birth and two months, your baby will need the protection you give them by having the vaccination.
How effective is it?
Research carried out by PHE shows that babies have a 91% lower risk of developing whooping cough in their first few weeks of life, if their mother was vaccinated during pregnancy.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE, said:
'Being vaccinated against whooping cough while you're pregnant is a highly effective way to protect your baby in the first few weeks of their life.
'The immunity you get from the vaccine passes to your baby and provides them with protection until they are old enough to be routinely vaccinated against whooping cough at two months old.'
When should I get it done?
The NHS recommends getting the whooping cough vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Having it within this window will maximise the amount of protection it gives to your baby.
If you're further along than this and haven't had it, don't panic! You can still have it right up until you go into labour. It may offer less protection to your baby, but it will still help to prevent you from catching it yourself and passing it on to your baby.
Will it hurt?
As with all injections, you'll feel a small prick or scratch, but most women find it doesn't hurt too much. Here's what members of the Netmums forum say about the whooping cough vaccine:
'I've had both [the flu jab and the whooping cough jab] recently and they were very quick. Felt like a wee scratch but that's it and the needles were quite small'
'It did not hurt at all, at the time of having it. However the next day I came up in a red lump at the injection site, which was really sore for about a week.'
'To my amazement it hurts nowhere near what a blood test does I didn't even feel the whooping cough jab'
Are there any risks to having the whooping cough vaccine?
No, the vaccine is considered to be perfectly safe.
A study of over 20,000 women who have had the whooping cough vaccine found absolutely no evidence of any increased risks to either mum or baby.
Public Health England also emphasises that the vaccine used for pregnant women is an 'inactivated' vaccine, which 'cannot replicate and therefore cannot cause infection in either the mother or the foetus.'
This means that it's impossible for the pregnancy whooping cough vaccine to actually cause whooping cough.
It's perfectly normal to have safety concerns around immunisations, especially when you're pregnant. There are lot of scare stories around, and it can be hard to know who to trust.
But rest assured that the scientific community is in complete agreement: there are no safety concerns around the whooping cough vaccine, and it is safe for both you and your baby.
What about side-effects?
You may experience a few mild side-effects shortly after having the jab, such as:
- tenderness, redness or swelling in the area where you had the injection
- fever
- loss of apppetite
- irritability
- headache
Any side-effects are usually short-lived, and serious side-effects are extremely rare. If you're worried about any side-effects you may be experiencing, call 111 for advice or make an appointment with your GP.
What is whooping cough (pertussis)?
Whooping cough – also known as pertussis – is a very contagious bacterial infection which mostly affects babies and young children.
Sadly, when infants under thee months old catch it, about 3.5% of them die from it. Many more need to spend time in hospital.
That's why it's so important to get vaccinated during pregnancy, to protect your baby during those crucial first months.
What are the symptoms of whooping cough?
At first, whooping cough just seems like a cold: your baby may have a runny nose, mild fever, red eyes, a dry cough, and seem generally under the weather. This is known as the 'catarrhal phase'.
After a week or so, the illness usually moves into the second phase, known as the 'paroxysmal phase'. This is when the classic cough associated with pertussis usually develops.
It can take a long time for a baby to get over whooping cough. The paroxysmal phase can last up to six months. Even once it's over, there's a 'convalescent phase' of up to three months, during which the cough may keep coming back.
What does whooping cough sound like?
In the paroxysmal phase, young children often develop the signature 'whooping' cough that gives the illness its name.
'Whooping' refers to the noise children make between coughs; the NHS describes is as 'a gasp for breath'.
However, young babies may not make the classic coughing noise.
What should I do if I think my baby has whooping cough?
If your baby or child has the symptoms above, call 111 or make an appointment with your GP.
It's especially important to seek medical advice quickly if your baby is under six months old, as whooping cough can be very dangerous in young infants.
Call 999 or go to A&E if: your baby or child seems to be having difficulty breathing, turns blue, has a fit, or seems to be experiencing severe chest pain.
When will my baby have their own whooping cough vaccination?
The first whooping cough vaccination will be offered as part of the 6-in-1 vaccination at your baby's eight week vaccinations.
They'll then get booster shots at their 12 week vaccinations, 16 week vaccinations and preschool vaccinations. Each booster increases the protection.
Sources
- BMJ. 2014. Safety of pertussis vaccination in pregnant women in UK: observational study
- NHS. 2019. Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy
- NICE CKS. 2018. Whooping cough
- Public Health England. 2020. Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination programme for pregnant women
What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff is a must-read for all expectant parents. See more details here at Amazon.
Have more questions about vaccinations in pregnancy? Check out our articles below, or chat to other parents-to-be in our forum:
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