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. Rates of whooping cough have risen sharply in recent months, and babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at the greatest risk.

Pregnant people can help protect their babies by getting vaccinated. When you have the whooping cough vaccination 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.

The best time to get vaccinated to protect your baby is between 20 to 32 weeks ofpregnancy. The vaccine is usually offered to women after their 20-week scan.Vaccines can be given from as early as 16 weeks and women remain eligible beyond 32 weeks until they give birth. Pregnant people can contact their midwife or GP surgery if they have reached week 20 of their pregnancy and 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.

Whooping cough vaccine has been used extensively in pregnant women in the UK since October 2012. Vaccination of pregnant people 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.

Pregnant people will be offered their vaccination at their 20 week scan, or you can contact the surgery to book a nurse appointment for vaccination.