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Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine - Eligibility and appointments

Pregnancy

It is important to be vaccinated in every pregnancy, even if you have had the vaccine before.  

The whooping cough vaccine is offered to all pregnant women from 16 weeks of pregnancy. It is better to have the vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. While you can still get the vaccine after 32 weeks, it may not provide the same level of protection for your baby. This is because it takes time for the vaccine to work.

If you did not have the whooping cough vaccine while you were pregnant, you can still have it in the eight weeks following the birth (until your child has their first routine dose). This will protect you and may prevent you from passing whooping cough on to your baby, although it will not directly protect the baby.

Information:

If you have the vaccine close to the time your baby is born, it may be less effective. So, get your vaccine as soon as possible, after you become eligible at 16 weeks pregnant. 

Babies and children

The whooping cough vaccination is offered to all babies and young children as part of the NHS routine childhood immunisation schedule. Even if you had the whooping cough vaccine when pregnant, your baby will still need to be vaccinated against whooping cough.  

Babies are offered the vaccine against whooping cough at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. Preschool children are then offered a fourth whooping cough vaccine at three years and four months. 

The routine immunisation schedules for Wales provides information about routine and non-routine vaccinations. 

Healthcare workers

Healthcare workers can easily pass infections on to babies. Healthcare workers who have direct contact with pregnant women or babies, and those who have not had a whooping cough vaccine in the last five years, are eligible for a vaccine as part of their occupational health care.   

How to book

GP practices and some antenatal clinics will give the vaccine. If you are 16 weeks pregnant and have not been offered the vaccine, talk to your midwife or GP surgery to make an appointment to get vaccinated.  

You may be eligible to get other recommended vaccines at the same time as getting your whooping cough vaccine. Speak to your midwife or practice nurse for more details on the vaccines you need. 

Page last reviewed: 15th August 2025