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Whooping cough (Pertussis)
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems. It's important for babies and children to get vaccinated against it.
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.
What Vaccines are available?
The main aim of the UK vaccination schedule is to reduce the risk of severe pertussis in infancy. The primary UK vaccination course consists of three doses of an acellular pertussis-containing vaccine at eight, twelve and sixteen weeks of age. A reinforcing dose should be administered at around three years and four months.
Pregnant women are advised to have a pertussis containing vaccine ideally between 20 and 32 weeks gestation (minimum 16 weeks gestation) to protect their baby from birth until they reach the age of routine immunisation against this disease.
Neither the pertussis vaccination or the natural infection provide lifelong cover. There is evidence of waning protection 10 - 15 years after completing a primary vaccine course. However, pertussis vaccine prevents severe disease, so vaccinated individuals who subsequently develop pertussis are unlikely to be at risk of serious complications.
Vaccine Schedules
Single dose booster
Prevention
The best way to protect against pertussis is through vaccination. Pertussis vaccination is not routinely offered to adults and children over 10 years old (apart from pregnant women or as part of outbreak control). Travellers should always ensure they are up to date with their routine vaccines according to the NHS vaccination schedule.
Good personal hygiene, including hand washing, and covering the mouth/nose when coughing or sneezing, can also help to minimise the risk of acquiring and spreading the infection.
Need other vaccines?
Please click on the links below for travel vaccination requirements/ advice.
For vaccine recommendations and information on conditions based on destinations:https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home
For vaccine lifespan:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations/jabs/
Antimalarials (Maloff Protect): For adults you can buy these over the counter after the consultation at £2 per tablet. For children please enquire.
Need to book more than one vaccine?
Please make a booking for a single vaccine and leave a note with the booking for the other vaccines you require. We will then call you to make other bookings.
Note: We offer a 5% discount for cash payments.
Please make sure you fill in the form in the appointment confirmation which you will recieve (as a link). This will allow us to do a risk assessement before your arrive and check all your travel requirements for a swift & safe appointment.
*Note*
Any Cancellation within 48 hours prior to appointment will incur a charge of 20% of total service cost.