Service Detail
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccine
We offer Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccine in Brighton and Hove.
Pertussis commonly known as whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory infection that can be particularly severe in infants and young children, leading to hospitalizations and even death. Thankfully, modern medicine offers an effective solution to combat this disease—the pertussis vaccine.
Children normally receive pertussis vaccinations as part of the routine UK vaccination schedule. Pregnant women are also advised to be vaccinated during pregnancy as antibodies are passed on to the unborn child and help to protect the infant when it is born.
Currently pertussis vaccine is not recommended for anyone over the age of 10 years, except pregnant women (as above) or during outbreak control.
Occasionally travellers going to visit family are requested to have booster doses of pertussis containing vaccine prior to travel. This is usually grandparents going overseas, typically Australia, to visit family where an infant is due to be born or has recently been born. In this situation, the travellers may be asked to have a pertussis vaccine to protect the new born infant. However, if the pregnant woman at the destination has been vaccinated against pertussis, ideally between 27 and 36 weeks gestation, there is no need for pertussis to be given to the adult travellers prior to travel.
Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The disease starts with cold-like symptoms but progresses to severe and uncontrollable coughing fits, often accompanied by a characteristic “whooping” sound as the patient gasps for air. While it can affect people of all ages, infants under the age of one are at the greatest risk of developing severe complications, including pneumonia, seizures, and brain damage.
