Whooping cough

The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat (a high temperature is uncommon).

After about a week, you or your child:

• will get coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night
• may make a "whoop" sound – a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not "whoop")
• may have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey (young infants)
• may bring up a thick mucus, which can make you vomit
• may become very red in the face (more common in adults)

The cough may last for several weeks or months.

Whooping cough can affect people of all ages and while it can be a very unpleasant illness for older vaccinated adolescents and adults, young babies who are too young to be fully protected through vaccination are at increased risk of serious complications or, rarely, death.

Vaccination is crucial, as whooping cough can spread very easily through coughing and sneezing. If your child does catch it, they'll need to stay off school or nursery for 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or three weeks from the start of their symptoms if they haven't had the treatment.

The best defence is to make sure they are fully vaccinated.

The whooping cough vaccine is given as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme.

• Babies receive three doses at eight, 12 and 16 weeks old (the six-in-one vaccine), followed by a booster at three years and four months. This provides high levels of protection against severe disease.

• It's important for pregnant women to get vaccinated against whooping cough, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. Vaccinating pregnant women allows the protection to pass to their unborn baby in the womb so that babies are protected from birth in their first months of life, before they can receive their own vaccines from eight weeks of age. Vaccines can be given from as early as 16 weeks and women can receive the vaccine beyond 32 weeks until they give birth. Vaccinating pregnant women is over 90 percent effective in preventing whooping cough cases and hospital admissions in young babies and in preventing deaths.

• Whooping cough vaccine has been used extensively in pregnant women in the UK since October 2012, and no safety concerns have been found.

• Treatment for whooping cough depends on your age and how long you've had the infection.

• Hospital treatment is usually needed if you have severe whooping cough, or your baby is under six months old and has whooping cough.

• If whooping cough is diagnosed within two weeks of your cough starting, you'll be given antibiotics to help stop it spreading to others.

• Antibiotics may not reduce symptoms.

Vaccinations are the most effective way to protect your child from many serious and potentially fatal diseases. 

In the UK vaccinations are free on the NHS and are usually given at your GP practice.

For more information on vaccinations and immunisations please visit out vaccinations and immunisations page. 

For a full list of the recommended NHS vaccinations and when to have them please have a look at the complete routine immunisation schedule (Gov.uk).